solenoid

The Intensely Calming Vibrations of Gamelatron

The Intensely Calming Vibrations of Gamelatron

This robotic display mixes traditional gamelans with modern robotics. The result, the Gamelatron, it is entrancing and intense.

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48 Solenoids Transform This 1960s Typewriter into a Computer Printer

Several years ago, Chris Gregg, a Tufts University lecturer and computer engineer, received a letter from his friend Erica. This wouldn’t be so unusual, except that it was typed on an actual typewriter, not a printer. Gregg is a fan of vintage typewriters, but, as with myself, makes many mistakes, requiring a functioning backspace key. […]

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Glockentar: Epic Instrument Mashup

Glockentar: Epic Instrument Mashup

What happens when you want to play two instruments at the same time, but only have two hands? You let electronics do the work for you, of course.

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MR-808 Brings Vintage Drum Machine to Life

MR-808 Brings Vintage Drum Machine to Life

Moritz Simon Geist has made a physical version of the famed TR-808 drum machine.

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Spelling Words with Rising Bubbles

Spelling Words with Rising Bubbles

Inspired by a Jeep’s falling water display, Matt Bell created an Arduino-based bubble display, which turns Jeep’s idea on its head. Matt’s latest version makes a few key improvements that help with the bubble size and steadies the speed at which the bubbles rise.

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The Modular Electronic Drums of Nick Yulman

The Modular Electronic Drums of Nick Yulman

Nick Yulman, of NY Soundworks, recently debuted debuted his Index Boogie performance piece at PS1. The piece consists of various solenoid-powered noise makers, which Yulman calls either “Surface Poppers” or “Drum Beaters”. They’re designed to be modular music devices that can easily be mated to virtually any inanimate object.

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Kinetic Sculpture Pushes Gravity’s Envelope

Kinetic Sculpture Pushes Gravity’s Envelope

Ben Light displayed Kinetic Sculpture 5 at the ITP Winter Show last month. When the user waves his/her hand over a photoresistor, a push solenoid is triggered, causing a rod to decouple and swing to the other side. Whatever losses are sustained due to conservation of energy are then recovered by a strong magnet that gives the rod that extra pull it needs to couple to an identical solenoid on the opposite end.

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