A Nottingham Trent University student has made working speakers out of mushroom roots as part of a product design degree.
Bertie Ford made the project out of mycelium, a material produced by underground mushrooms.
The 22-year-old also made casing which acts as sound dampening for loudspeakers.
Bertie claims his prototypes combines sound quality with sustainability and that they work best with softer tones such those in jazz music.
He said: “Mycelium is the largest living organism on Earth, but few people realise its potential as a sustainable material.
“Not only does it have comparable properties to materials such as medium-density fibreboard (MDF) it has good sound dampening qualities too.
“As well as creating a new speaker, I hope to show a currently unconvinced market that organic materials can be used to create high-end consumer products with function and form.”
To create the product, mycelium for oyster mushrooms was grown into a mould and fed coffee waste and a straw mix for around two to three weeks.
When the growth fills the mould, it’s removed and cured in an oven on a low temperature for up to six hours.
During this process the mycelium dies and a strong outer skin is created, with all moisture being removed.
As the product is intended to reach the high end of the market, the face of the speaker is finished with a wide range of options such as brass and nature wood.
Bertie, originally from Twickenham in London, said: “My hope is that by showing people mycelium’s true potential, it will stimulate more green-thinking and open consumers’ minds to other organic materials and sustainability.
“Mycelium has the potential to be used beyond audio equipment as it has qualities which may be relevant to other industries; furniture and construction to name but two.”
Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh, who supervised the project, said: “Bertie has taken materials commonly seen as agricultural waste and shown how they can be used, with help from mycelium, to create an innovative new material and new products.
“Not only does it bring something novel to consumers, but it carries an important message by showing what products can emerge when we open our minds to sustainable and organic materials.”
Bertie’s design goes on show at the 2017 Degree Show from June 3-10 at the university’s city campus.
