This isn’t the first time someone decided to create a wearable drum set, but this is the first time they actually did it right. Those so-called ‘drum’ shirts are usually novelty items that crank out drum-like sound effects that you usually hear from kids’ toys. Industrial design student Wesley Chau noticed this and set out to create a true musical piece of clothing in the form of ‘Drop the Beat.’
‘Drop the Beat’ is essentially a vest with movable drum kit pads that the wearer can re-arrange and re-program based on their musical preferences. Chau was inspired by the film Home of the Brave, which features a 1986 concert where experimental musician Laurie Anderson performs a dance that triggers a particular note with every movement.
Chau’s drum kit consists of four neoprene drum pads, each of which has a piezo sensor embedded into it to detect any changes in pressure. The sensors are connected to an Arduino controller that converts each ‘hit’ into a MIDI signal. The signal is then sent to be interpreted on a laptop that’s running Garageband. In short, when the wearer taps, hits, or even just pushes the pads, a sound will be produced.
Check out the clip above to see the vest in action.
VIA [ Gizmag ]
