Earbud Earrings — Final Project Milestones

This page documents the current state of my HTMAA final project: earbud earrings — a pair of wearable, jewelry-like earbuds that aim to reconcile style and everyday audio utility.

Motivation: Turning Earbuds into Earrings

Accessorizing in the modern world is a surprisingly difficult task. Like many Elle Woods fans, I dream of perfect outfit coordination; the kind where every accessory feels intentional.

But in practice, utility often gets in the way of style.

I spend my days hopping in and out of calls, tuning out the bustle of coffee shops and libraries, all thanks to my trusty earbuds. They’re indispensable — but they rarely look the part. They dangle awkwardly when not in use, clash with carefully chosen jewelry, or disappear at the bottom of a bag.

This everyday mismatch between style and function sparked an idea: what if earbuds could become earrings? Instead of treating them as an afterthought, why not design them as intentional accessories — elegant, wearable, and always at hand (or rather, ear)?

Goal: explore a playful yet practical solution — earbud earrings — and document the journey from concept to prototype.
Early prototype for earbud earrings
Prototype snapshots sketches (to be updated as the project progresses).
Early prototypefor earbud earrings
Prototype sketches (to be updated as the project progresses).

Brainstorming & Initial Concept

The initial idea was ambitious: earphone earrings that could charge themselves kinetically. The vision was to harvest energy from everyday motion — walking, turning, even dancing — and use it to power a pair of elegant wireless earbuds that double as jewelry.

It felt like the perfect marriage of fashion, technology, and a bit of sci-fi optimism.

Researching Existing Designs

Before diving into feasibility, I reviewed products and concepts that reimagine wearables and audio:

Exploring Kinetic Charging

One of the most exciting (and challenging) ideas was kinetic energy harvesting. Building on the piezoelectric effect (first identified by Pierre and Jacques Curie in 1880), I explored whether motion could meaningfully power earbuds.

Reading & References

Reality Microwatts Irregular motion

Human movement is irregular, and most piezoelectric harvesters output on the order of microwatts — far below typical earbud power needs.

Because of this highly intermittent and low-power output, it quickly became clear that relying solely on motion-based harvesting for v1 would not be realistic. A secondary charging port (wired) is needed, with kinetic harvesting reserved as a possible augmenting feature for future versions.

Conversations with TAs: Reality Check

Anthony: “I cannot understate how hard it is going to be to get energy harvesting like this to power a pair of headphones.”

Using numbers from recent literature (best-case ≈ 67 µW harvested), Anthony estimated this to be roughly ~500× lower than what a single earbud would need. As a rough mental model, charging an AirPod-class battery via motion alone would correspond to something like ~1,500 hours of motion for one earbud — and double that for a pair — even before accounting for conversion losses.

Gert: “Scope the fundamentals first: power budget, a microcontroller with Bluetooth that won’t weigh down the ear, and sensor choices.”

Gert’s advice helped break the problem into a more manageable roadmap, and made the scope constraints clearer for a one-semester build.

Pivoting the Project

Given the constraints, I pivoted away from full kinetic self-charging for now and refocused on the core experience: earbud earrings that combine style and utility. This keeps the heart of the idea — intentional, wearable design — while making the v1 prototype feasible within HTMAA.

Updated objective: For v1, prove the basics: comfortable form factor, reliable attachment/detachment, and a coherent aesthetic that reads as jewelry — while leaving a clear path toward future power/charging explorations.

Next Steps (Design Process Preview)

Early prototype for earbud earrings
Prototype snapshots sketches (to be updated as the project progresses).
Early prototypefor earbud earrings
Prototype sketches (to be updated as the project progresses).

System Diagram

The project combines mechanical design, electronics, and embedded programming into a small, ear-worn form factor.

EARRING SHELL MECHANICAL INTERFACE (Magnet / Clip onto ear) EAR-MODULE / EARBUD (Core Electronics/ the guts of the earphone) AUDIO SYSTEM Driver + Amp MICROCONTROLLER ESP32-S3 / BT Module POWER SYSTEM Battery + Regulator CONTROL SYSTEM Touch Pad / Button / LED EXTENSION AREA (Future Charging / Sensors)

Tasks to Be Completed

To get from concept to a working prototype, I’ve broken the project down into concrete tasks:

1. Mechanical / Industrial Design

2. Electronics Design & Production

3. Embedded Programming

4. System Integration & Packaging

5. Evaluation & Documentation

Project Schedule

The schedule below is a working plan toward a fully integrated prototype. Dates are approximate and will be updated as the project progresses.

Week / Dates Milestones
This week (Nov 17–23)
  • Finalize system diagram and architecture.
  • Rough CAD for earring + earbud shell.
  • Confirm electronics stack (MCU / audio / battery choices).
  • Schedule instructor review meeting.
Next week (Nov 24–30)
  • Complete detailed CAD and print first mechanical prototypes.
  • Finish schematic and PCB layout; prepare Gerber files.
  • Order boards + any remaining components.
Following week (Dec 1–7)
  • Assemble PCBs and bring up electronics (power + basic audio).
  • Iterate mechanical design based on first tests.
  • Start basic firmware (controls + test audio).
Final push (Dec 8–project deadline)
  • Integrate electronics into final housings.
  • Refine finishes (pearlescent/metallic, jewelry aesthetic).
  • Run evaluation tests and capture demo footage.
  • Prepare documentation, summary slide, and final video.

Instructor Meeting

Graded review meeting:
To be scheduled with the HTMAA instructors / section staff.

Agenda for the review will include: