Giant Digital Piano

This project was built by a team of students as a part of Duke University’s first hackathon.

The build consists of large pads set on the ground that detect pressure and relay signals to the computer. Attached to the computer is an Arduino Uno with an XBee. XBee relays the signal from the piano to the computer and firmware on the Arduino converts the raw data into a standard MIDI file. A software instrument within Logic Pro then reads this MIDI file and generates the sound.

There is also a remote control that can be used to adjust various parameters. The user can enter a ‘tutorial’ mode, which will show you how to play songs by illuminating LED lights on the correct keys. You can also adjust an attached potentiometer to select between 16 different instruments.

In the video below (at 6:45), you can watch a full demonstration of this giant piano.

 

Tags: XBee