hi,

welcome to

heartwerk.tech

My name is David, and I am the
hardware engineer
that you've been looking for!

creating,

With over a decade of experience in embedded software, hardware engineering, and product design, I have delivered across various industries. From pioneering music technology to running in the fast-paced start-up world and also founding my own venture: I thrive when challenged!

While my favourite applications are in the audio and haptic field, as a freelance engineer there is but one question: → Can we build something cool together?

You can find some examples of my work in different areas below:

Audio Technology

As a student of electrical engineering, I began to see the fascinating ways audio and electronics connect. This encouraged me to understand both fields and I learned to appreciate electronic music and algorithmic programming.

Hearing remains one of life's greatest joys, and designing interfaces that enable and encourage music interaction, is both a passion and a privilege.

Consequently audio technology is still one of my favourite playgrounds today.

the playbay

is a portable music device that lets anybody play music for everybody.

The main idea here is to make playing (electronic) music more accessible. Other than with conventional DJ devices there is no setup process needed. Any music source can be used to mix immediately. Just connect 1 or 2 phones via bluetooth and press play music in any app. The device continously analyzes the audio stream, tracks the beat, and monitors the song structures in real-time. You can then not only mix but also beatmatch and sync the music.

This is one of my larger projects and showcases of set of blocks working in sync: multicontroller architecture, handling of audio streams, real-time beat tracking, haptic feedback through PCB based motors... Development is ongoing steadily.

There is no aim for a product launch, but feel free to contact me for more info or a demo session :)

Haptic Technology

The sense of touch might just be my favourite way of meeting this reality. Haptic interfaces can beautifully connect the physical with the digital world. Interactions become more natural, intuitive and engaging.

For my thesis, I researched rotary force feedback devices and developed novel technology already back in 2014 when the field was still a niche.

Today haptic displays have become ubqiutious in all kinds of devices. With my network, extensive development experience and various prototypes, I am always excited to conciously integrate the sense of touch into relevant user journeys.

Haptic Jog Wheel

One of my most notable projects is the development of the Haptic Drive Jog Wheel for the Traktor Kontrol S4. This interface can mimic a turntable, emulate various damping, friction and torque settings and display digital information physically (eg. cue points in a song).

This novel interface served as a revolutionary USP and is protected by a patent I hold.

From initial research and prototyping to integration into a product and supporting mass production, each phase presented unique challenges required great attention to detail.

For more details, check out the blog post on how we made the Haptic Drive .

Automotive Technology

The automotive industry is a continuously evolving sector that integrates advanced technologies to enhance performance, safety, and user experience.

My work in this field includes various undisclosable prototypes as well as developing public solutions such as vibrotactile feedback systems for seats, which provide immersive and intuitive interactions for drivers and passengers.

By leveraging my expertise in embedded systems and hardware design, I contributed to the creation of smarter, more connected vehicles that redefine the driving experience.

Vibrotactile Seats

Recently, I have been consulting and developing vibrotactile feedback in seats. While mostly aimed at automotive applications the benefits translate to other sectors as well.

The challenge was to provide immersive audio-haptic experience for eg. driving, gaming and entertainment. We would showcase easily adaptable haptic patterns and features such as spatial feedback. To test user needs, it was important to create a comprehensive but flexible setup. The underlying system is a custom embedded real-time Linux with a modular and intuitive software. A cost-optimized microcontroller solution for driving actuators is available too.

offering,

Consulting

Need expert advice on your project? What is doable? Where are the limitations? I can help you turn your idea into a more realistic concept.

Prototyping

Nothing beats a functional mockup that can be tested by users. This allows you to refine your concepts before further development.

Software Development

With a focus on embedded software for a range of processors, any functionality you specify shall be implemented.

Hardware Design

Custom PCB Design with Schematics and Layout. Various depths or requirements can be met iteratively.

references

*CV available on request.

Native Instruments

Music, Producing and DJ technology

Swobbee

Battery technology, sharing hub and last-mile vehicles

Katalog Equipment

EXIST funded Startup for music technology

Watergenics

Industrial smart sensors and monitoring system

icon incar

Haptic-Audio seats focused on automotive use case

icon impact

Consumer electronics various Research & Development

Polyvection

Smart home and audio technology development

KORG.berlin

Music products with acoustic synthesis technology

wieder-sehen?

Let's get in touch to discuss your project!