Industrial Design Student Creates Ergonomic Violin Using Hi-Tech Materials, Including Veriflex^®

For her senior design project, Tricia Ho, a senior Industrial Design student at the University of New South Wales in Australia, designed and created an ergonomic electric violin using high-tech materials. The instrument was constructed of lightweight carbon fiber and CRG's shape memory polymer, Veriflex.

The ergonomic violin was designed to suit the player, both in personality and ergonomics. Its lightweight carbon fiber body is durable, with a sleek and versatile appearance to couple with a range of detachable frames. These frames are interchangeable, making the violin stylistically customizable to suit the player’s persona or the setting of the performance.

The interchangeable frames include a "self-supporting" option, where
the player no longer needs to grip the instrument under the chin while playing. This eliminates the long-standing problem of musculoskeletal disorders in a violinist's neck and shoulders. The component of this frame which sits around the player's neck, and the lip which curves around the shoulder, are made from a high-tech shape memory polymer [Veriflex]. This allows players to conform the shape of the frame to their own body dimensions at the critical comfort areas. The reshaping of the frame is a reversible process and may be changed as often as required.

Trisha's ergonomic violin illustrates the industrial design potential of shape memory polymers. For more about her design project, see the UNSW Industrial Design web site. (1-5-2006)