The ability to play music is certainly one of the most beautiful aspects of humanity. We have created various instruments that produce a beautiful set of touching melodies. But, have you ever heard of a musical device made out of clothes? Meet the unique KnittedKeyboard II.
The ingenious mind of researchers from the MIT Media Lab came up with an idea to create a musical keyboard out of textile.
The KnittedKeyboard II has been dubbed as a creative and smart textile innovation in the form of interactive textile-based musical instruments. The KnittedKeyboard II project was started by an idea to create a wearable and foldable keyboard for Lyle Mays’s tribute, a legendary American jazz musician.
The inventors choose soft fabric as the main material to create an unusual musical device with the same layout as a musical keyboard. This piece of cloth will allow you to play music in an extraordinary way.
You might be wondering, how can a piece of fabric become a musical instrument? The KnittedBoard II is created from layers of conductive knits. It also has a polyester base and a layer that can detect pressure and stretch.
Yes that’s right! You just need to touch and stretch the instrument to create a sound. KnittedBoard II is even capable of detecting hand movements if you hover your hand around above the device.
Irmandy Wicaksono, an engineer and designer in the MIT Media Lab, stated that musicians who have tried the KnittedBoard II have positive opinions on the device. The music produced by this textile-based interface feels more alive.
The musicians who have tested this innovative musical fabric also feel more expressive. The sounds that come out have deeper connections with the players as they touch and stretch the fabric. They have also said that the experience of playing with KnittedBoard II feels organic.
Because KnittedKeyboard II is basically a piece of soft fabric, this musical device can be folded. That way, this instrument is very portable. Thus, you can produce beautiful melodies on the go without carrying around a heavy musical device!
Let’s compare it with the regular musical keyboard. It is usually huge, clunky, and not. You will need a big specialized bag to transport the keyboard. Meanwhile, the textile-based KnittedKeyboard II can be stored easily because of the flexible fabric. It is also very lightweight and can produce beautiful music, just as good as the regular keyboard.
Now that you have seen the KnittedBoard II, would you like to play music with it? It is a refreshing invention that will make the world become a cooler place. Perhaps in the future, the inventors will actually create a musical instrument that can be worn like a shirt, that would be fun!
