While aspiring musicians keep rehearsing for hours to buff up their skills, all it actually takes to produce sweetest melodies is an umbrella, some touch-sensitive sensors, a simple circuit board and a light rain. If you want to listen to any of these melodies, just head over to Amsterdam to see the Berlina-based Alice Zappe and Julia Lager creating music out of a wet umbrella. At a 24-hour hardware hacking event Music Hackday, you could see the German team generating “a random 8-bit tune in response to the falling rain.”
The German hardware hackers fitted the inner canopy of a brolly with 12 touch-responsive sensors, connected them to a simple circuit board using duct tape, and finally, allowed raindrops to fall freely on the contraption. Made from piezoelectric material, the sensors produce charge in response to slightest stress. An Arduino microcontroller picks the charge, takes in data, analyzes it and finally, creates a musical response.
Though the musical umbrella was created within a day’s time, Alice and Julia, however, had tough time in fetching “a watering can.” A watering can? Yep, since the contraption was created on a sunny day.
We wanted to present something simple that actually works rather than something complicated we wouldn’t be able to finish in the given time. In the end we were quite satisfied with our prototype although we have to admit it does get a bit annoying after some time.
We may soon see an improved version of the umbrella, the creators say.
Via: BBC
