Berlin University of the Arts (UdK)
The idea was technically conceived in 2024 within the Sound Studies and Sonic Arts Master's programme, laying the groundwork for our experimentation with sound synthesis and sustainable technology.
Solsonic proposes a line of educational kits that combines sound synthesis and solar energy. For kids and kidults to build together.
Our first prototype, the Solsonic Bug, is a biomimetic synthesizer powered by the sun. We are currently developing its modularity and invite you, the makers, to have a hands-on experience with solar energy and sound synthesis and become active participants in our research and development stage.
Our philosophy
Kid & Kidult
Why should the kids have all the fun?
Solsonic is designed for the both of you.
Play with purpose. Play together. By building their own synth, kids and parents explore the logic of green tech and the physics of sound through hands-on discovery.
Sustainability
We aim to empower a new generation of sustainable energy advocates.
Solar energy is intangible in the everyday life of families. It is mostly perceived as big-scaled industry, associated with big solar farms or roof-top panels. Solsonic is creating a line of interactive tech-toys which makes green tech playful, multi-sensory and accessible, to inspire you to build new habits in a sustainable lifestyle.
Workshops
We believe the best educational tools are co-created with the makers themselves.
Through our active workshops kids get hands-on experience assembling real analog circuits, exploring electronic components, and learning the physics of solar power and sound synthesis. As they build, we observe. Every workshop directly shapes the features of our final prototype kits, making our participants active co-designers in our research and development process.
We provide the materials, kid-safe tools, our custom solar-powered synthesizer prototype and the expert facilitation. Whether you are running a museum programme, a summer camp, a maker fair or a community space, we adapt to your environment and are happy to bring our expertise to the public.
Gallery
Minibooth Festival 2025 & 2026, Berlin — more than 100 kids (and their parents) built and played with us each year.The workshop process
4 step process: from sunbeam to soundwave
Connect the 2 solar panels to the circuit (to power it) & patch the circuit using child-safe, plug-and-play jumper wires, mapping out the synth's signal path.
Connect the speakers to the amplifier and the circuit output to the amplifier.
Mount the components into the casing and build the bug body.
Take your creation to the light, play with shadowing and listen to the sound modulating.
Educational value
Green tech literacy
Engineering
Multisensory physics
Sustainability
Partners
We have been supported so far by some of the leading innovators in Art, Tech and Education.
How our journey came to life:
Berliner Festspiele (Radical Playgrounds)
The very first Solsonic Bug prototypes were produced and debuted to the public at the Radical Playgrounds exhibition in the Gropius Bau garden in July 2024, buzzing away, modulating to sound, receiving positive feedback from the visitors.
The Minibooth Festival
Our long-term partners in public engagement. In both 2025 and 2026, Minibooth provided the platform for our signature hands-on workshops, allowing more than 100 kids (and their parents!) each year to build, play and experiment with us.
Film University Babelsberg & EXIST
Solsonic is proudly backed through the end of 2026 by the federal EXIST Women grant, hosted by the startup ecosystem at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf.
Our future network
Educational and cultural spaces
We are actively seeking to collaborate further with museums, schools, summer camps and cultural institutions to continue building with kids and growing interested minds. If you want to bring our hands-on green tech and sound workshops to your community, get in touch with us!
Green tech and solar innovators
We are looking to establish a meaningful, lasting partnership with a European or German green-tech / solar company. If your organisation is passionate about ecological education and interested in providing technical support, hardware collaboration or mentorship to a growing startup, we want to connect and build the future together.
Team
Who we are
Solsonic is currently a core team of three: a sound designer, a product designer and a brand strategist. Based in Berlin. Together we are exploring the symbiosis of sustainability, biomimicry and sound synthesis.
We are developing our second prototype, the Solsonic Bug V2, testing novel sustainable materials for the biomimetic casing and developing modularity to keep kids and parents curious (and offline!).
We believe in learning by doing and love to involve YOU in this process. By building and playing with our prototypes, you are helping us to find the best shape and functionality for the future of Solsonic.
Connect with our lab, contribute to the project
We envision Solsonic growing through the invaluable expertise of individual contributors (ICs) who share our passion for open education and green hardware. We would love to collaborate and connect with:
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Embedded systems & electrical engineers
Circuit design, PCB layout, analog audio paths
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Photovoltaic (PV) specialists & hardware developers
Solar cell integration, low-power optimisation, energy harvesting
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Sustainable materials researchers
Bio-plastics, biodegradable casing alternatives
Open call: Creative Tech Lead
As we look toward our commercial roadmap, we are actively searching for a Creative Tech Lead with a background in hardware engineering and a passion for interactive design. If you want to help lead the technical architecture of a sustainable educational product, we want to hear from you.
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Get in touch
Workshops, partnerships, or joining the lab. Tell us what you have in mind.