LoopSpeaker – Reusing car speakers inside and outside the car

The LoopSpeaker project aims to map the conditions for, and propose, how speakers from “scrap cars” (cars that for various reasons have reached the end of their respective life cycles) can be reused.

The focus of the project will mainly be on reusing loudspeakers via non-car audio applications. From a design perspective, the project will also investigate the potential for achieving reuse by using the component type in new car manufacturing. A modern car today can contain far more than ten speakers and is a component that often survives the car by far. At the same time, speakers are rarely given a chance for a second life. Important activities in the project include:

• Analysing the type of dismantling operations that may be suitable for the purpose.
• Mapping which flows of speakers and types of speakers are available.
• From a circular design perspective, work to ensure that speakers as components in cars can be made more circularly adapted and thus easier to reuse.
• Develop a concept design for a sound-generating product.
• Package the project’s working methods and conclusions so that they can also be transferred to more types of components in cars with the aim of achieving increased circularity for the car as a product.

The project ran from November 2022 to June 2023.

Partners: Boid AB, Ecris AB, Transparent Sound AB, Volvo Personvagnar AB, Chalmers Industriteknik.