Category Archives: robots
New Version of the Improv Sequencer
The new improv / performance interface for the Gravity Harps is functional, if not polished. It’s like sequencing musical DNA. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. disclaimers: The visual design looks like a programmer did
New Version of the Improv Sequencer
The new improv / performance interface for the Gravity Harps is functional, if not polished. It’s like sequencing musical DNA. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. disclaimers: The visual design looks like a programmer did
Gravity Harps
The Gravity Harps are the final version of the pendulum instrument and are featured in Bjork’s current Biophilia show in Manchester UK. The idea was born during a slightly tense meeting after the Manchester parameters had changed. The Pendulum Ring
Gravity Harps
The Gravity Harps are the final version of the pendulum instrument and are featured in Bjork’s current Biophilia show in Manchester UK. The idea was born during a slightly tense meeting after the Manchester parameters had changed. The Pendulum Ring
The Gravity Ring
The Gravity Ring was originally envisioned for Bjork’s Biophilia project. I met her and Michel Gondry at the MIT Media Lab when they were looking for people and inspirations for a 3D film based on Bjork’s Biophilia concepts. Concept 1
The Gravity Ring
The Gravity Ring was originally envisioned for Bjork’s Biophilia project. I met her and Michel Gondry at the MIT Media Lab when they were looking for people and inspirations for a 3D film based on Bjork’s Biophilia concepts. Concept 1
Gravity Ring Choreographer
We knew what the musical notes would be. But spatially, they could be arranged in millions of ways. So I wrote this simulator to help me visualize the patterns and decide on the proper choreography. Click the image below to
Gravity Ring Choreographer
We knew what the musical notes would be. But spatially, they could be arranged in millions of ways. So I wrote this simulator to help me visualize the patterns and decide on the proper choreography. Click the image below to
Weavers and Music Boxes (early Biophilia idea)
This machine has 2 or 3 main parts. The Music Box – which may contain other instruments, like a trompong or tuned strings. The Music Sheet – which contains music encoded into it by weaving, punched holes, or interwoven beads.
Weavers and Music Boxes (early Biophilia idea)
This machine has 2 or 3 main parts. The Music Box – which may contain other instruments, like a trompong or tuned strings. The Music Sheet – which contains music encoded into it by weaving, punched holes, or interwoven beads.
Water Harp
This was a project for Björk, who had asked me to explore instruments that harness forces of nature. I chose to start with water, or gravity and surface tension, to be more precise. The idea was to use water’s insistent
Water Harp
This was a project for Björk, who had asked me to explore instruments that harness forces of nature. I chose to start with water, or gravity and surface tension, to be more precise. The idea was to use water’s insistent
The Whirly-Bot
The Whirly-Bot looks like a massive, trembling turbine and sounds like sniffing a thousand magic markers all at once. It creates voice-like music using a sound-producing physical phenomenon not used in any other musical instrument. The sound is created by
The Whirly-Bot
The Whirly-Bot looks like a massive, trembling turbine and sounds like sniffing a thousand magic markers all at once. It creates voice-like music using a sound-producing physical phenomenon not used in any other musical instrument. The sound is created by
The Heliphon
The Heliphon is a robotic metallophone intended to accompany a Balinese gamelan orchestra. In Balinese gamelan, the higher an instrument’s pitch, the faster it is played, culminating in blazing interlocking parts played with fierce precision. Only a robot could play
The Heliphon
The Heliphon is a robotic metallophone intended to accompany a Balinese gamelan orchestra. In Balinese gamelan, the higher an instrument’s pitch, the faster it is played, culminating in blazing interlocking parts played with fierce precision. Only a robot could play
The Blo-Bot
What has 6 legs, 4 elbows, no head, and hoots as winsomely as a lovestruck pygmy? The Blo-bot is my first robot for Ensemble Robot. It’s a tetrahedron of pneumatic cylinders and modified organ pipes that makes music as it
The Blo-Bot
What has 6 legs, 4 elbows, no head, and hoots as winsomely as a lovestruck pygmy? The Blo-bot is my first robot for Ensemble Robot. It’s a tetrahedron of pneumatic cylinders and modified organ pipes that makes music as it
Zap!
Zap! was a musical event for live musicians, robots, and high voltage arcs. I had an inspiration to use Dr. Robert J. Van de Graaff’s original 5 million volt generator as a musical instrument and composer Christine Southworth ran with
Zap!
Zap! was a musical event for live musicians, robots, and high voltage arcs. I had an inspiration to use Dr. Robert J. Van de Graaff’s original 5 million volt generator as a musical instrument and composer Christine Southworth ran with
Falling off the Robot Wagon
I said I wouldn’t do it. But I couldn’t stay away. The hours, the expense, the stress of watching level-0 prototypes in high-profile performances, holding my breath waiting for them to embarrassingly malfunction onstage. But I miss the people. So
Falling off the Robot Wagon
I said I wouldn’t do it. But I couldn’t stay away. The hours, the expense, the stress of watching level-0 prototypes in high-profile performances, holding my breath waiting for them to embarrassingly malfunction onstage. But I miss the people. So
