Who wants to build one of these?

Hope I get this link right. Check out this crazy computer animation self playing concept stringed instrument.

http://youtu.be/toXNVbvFXyk

(I wouldn't be surprised if Pete already built a couple of these in the old days.)

Alan

Yup! one of Petes early Harpo jobs..36 strings I counted...all Aqila's

If anybody could build one of these it would be Pete, with Ken's engineering and maybe Chuck M. to do the soundhole bindings.

New community project eh?

Totally! If someone takes care of the lutherie part, my mate and I can take care of the technology. I mean it! Been working in the experimental music technology field for the past 10 years.

There are grants, residencies and sponsorships available for this kind of projects, and lots of festivals to showcase the result (Siggraph, Ars Electronica, Transmediale, Burning Man...).

It wouldn't play as beautiful and seamless as the animated video because some of the mechanics of it aren't realistic from a physics point of view and you'd want to make your own design anyway, but a rather aesthetically-pleasing and fully-functioning installation is totally doable and would be really mint.

Here's a video of a similar project by Eric Singer from the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, from about a decade ago.



There's been a few similar projects since then and the technology has improved and gotten cheaper and easier to deal with.
Musical robots aren't meant to replace the virtuosity of a musician but to do things that aren't physically possible for humans to do and open up new musical territories, which I find really nice. And the visual aspect of it too of course, they can be beautiful artefacts.

If anyone is up for it, PM me so we can apply for a grant/sponsorship and get cracking!

I love mechanical instruments. One of my favorite bands is a Japanese performance art group called Maywa Denki who play a mix of regular, home made, and remotely and robotically controlled instruments. In their case, I think the limitations of the mechanics actually enhance the feeling of their songs. Here's one of their clips, their acoustic string machines start at 2:35.

Aye, me love me some Maywa Denki Great video, thanks!
Other really good stuff are Maxime de la Rochefoucauld, IFTAF, Kanta Horio... It's a very exciting genre!
I don't think I've seen anything ukulele-related yet. Have you, gioconbrio?

Here's a nice little list of automated instruments from 2007: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/automated-music-instruments.html

Yup, there's mechanical ukulele:


I also once read about some guys who made a uke-playing device out of Legos, but their site is long since down. They called it the automatic reggae machine.

Lalou, those are some awesome links for stuff I haven't seen before.

I hate to tell you guys, but everything we do will be replaced with robots and AI in the very near future. They will play with "feeling" too. Embrace it.. embrace evolution and be proud to be part of it.
In the future, Luthiers will design instruments on the computer and a 3D printer will pop it out... rosewood, ebony, mahogany will all be reproduced through the printer.

The future is good.

So you're asking.. well if nobody has a job how do we buy things?...
lol... ask yourself this question. Why are humans the only animals who pay to live on earth?

The outdated, barbaric, stratifying monetary system is dying... I'm so glad because now I don't have to stick an ice-pick in the forehead of the monetary system.. we're going through a transition. Good luck!

And In case you didn't know, every five seconds a child dies due to starvation and lack of health care. We have more than enough resources to feed and house everyone... but not enough "money" to go around.
We are changing the world with our without you. The Zietgeist Movement is worldwide and millions stong... join us.

Everyone will enjoy abundance ... Products will be made to last... there will be no elite, no hierarchy... Join us. www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/

We are the activist arm of evolution. We advocate a resource based economic system. No stinkin politicians... what do they do for us? They lie and take money from corporations that enslave us and polute. No politics! Hells yeah!

Instead, we advocate the scientific method applied to everything.;

And now back to our regularly scheduled program....
Looks like something out of a Pixar movie!!

gioconbrio said:

Yup, there's mechanical ukulele:


I also once read about some guys who made a uke-playing device out of Legos, but their site is long since down. They called it the automatic reggae machine.

Lalou, those are some awesome links for stuff I haven't seen before.

Click to expand...

Ah nice! Hadn't seen that one before. Thanks!
Still think we could make something really mint with all the skills gathered in this forum. Something really unique that wouldn't look like a robot playing a uke but be something else totally new and different that could play impossible music.

On another note, has anyone tried strumming with one of these Periborgs? lol
[video]http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20051122/ggl14.wmv[/video]