Instrument turns any object into a sound wave
Researchers in Germany have created a new type of musical instrument that works by rotating and scanning the surfaces of everyday objects and transforming them into audible frequencies.
The instrument was built from aluminium tubes, a white plastic polymer, black acrylic glass, a stepper motor and a non-contact laser triangulation sensor from Micro-Epsilon.
A translator and controller module transform the measured distance values into audible frequencies, notes, and scales. The silhouette of the object directly determines the melody and rhythm.
"Playing this instrument requires a mixture of practice, intuition and coincidence," noted Professor Dennis Paul, pictured, who led the project.
The technology is demonstrated in the video below.
