Low-Cost Hydrophone Development
You know those greeting cards that sing you happy birthday when you open them? The ceramic piezoelectric elements from those are identical to cheap pickups for homemade musical instruments--and they work well not only as speakers but as microphones! My boss sent me this paper and asked me to build a low-cost hydrophone as a prototype sensor for a low-cost buoy project. Following the protocols in the above paper, I carefully assembled these sandwich-design hydrophones. Final cost: about $2.50 each for parts.
I am now considering the manufacturability of this design and thinking through ways to alter the design to reduce labor costs in larger-scale production. I am further developing and testing an alternative hydrophone design using a 3/4" diameter ceramic piezo tube.
I am now considering the manufacturability of this design and thinking through ways to alter the design to reduce labor costs in larger-scale production. I am further developing and testing an alternative hydrophone design using a 3/4" diameter ceramic piezo tube.