Wimbledon tennis balls upcycled into cool portable speakers

Wimbledon, the world’s oldest tennis tournament, is under way again in London. Google is celebrating the 140th anniversary of the Wimbledon Championships this year with a fun Google Doodle today, but for an even cooler way to commemorate the tournament, look to these ingenious little portable speakers from hearO, created from none other than the some 55,000 tennis balls used in the 2016 Championships.

Born of a successful Kickstarter last summer, hearO speakers are designed and produced in London, using technology developed in France. Each wireless speaker retains the shell of the original tennis ball as a protective skin that also absorbs vibration. Meanwhile, the speaker component features a fibonacci grill pattern that optimizes sound projection. There’s a single button at the bottom for turning the speaker on and off and for pairing with mobile devices and computers.

The company began fulfilling Kickstarter orders this past spring and is currently selling the product on its website for £60 (about $78). Each hearO speaker comes with a USB cord, charging cradle, and an upcycled tin case reminiscent of classic tennis ball tin cans.

Via: Designboom