While we have the miracle of technology, why not use it for fun and games too? Unusual designs like Playtronica show us that simplicity can be powerfully innovative too. Playtronica describes themselves as a digital playground that uses technologies to unleash a whole new world of possibilities for humans in terms of experiences with audio. Their purpose is to give sound a tactile dimension, and they rock it like Bowie! No really, the fruits literally rock it like Bowie and Let’s Dance is a fineapple (get it?!) song!
Playtronica’s most recent audio-tech is a midi device that can fit in your palm and lets you create music with pretty much anything. They have a list of 16 objects you can experiment with your first try but hey, let your imagination run wild because that is exactly what Playtronica was made for – to encourage the creative genius in you. The midi device system has 2 boards with ample cables and alligator clips that you can plug into multiple objects like fruits, water, even your friends and then connect the other end to a computer. As long as the object is conductive in nature, Playtronica will have a sound for it. You can literally even measure the intensity of touch if you form a human chain which is actually the change of electric resistance. That signal can be captured with various online synthesizers via the web MIDI API – our minds are blown! Now you can connect with people in the literal sense.
The cool tech toy requires a 5 minute set up, anything in your house (including yourself) and a computer to hit your first note. I find this is something that the ASMR industry can take over and turn into a goldmine. It’s unique sensory experience really lets you see and feel sound in a whole new way, that is why you can find this stimulative piece of tech in museums like Pompidou, Exploratorium, and even at music festivals! Playtronica has collaborated with brands like Nike, Boeing, Mercedes Benz, Google in the past to conjure immersive audio experiences. Make music with anything – holding hands, your lunch, coffee (I am curious if the Monday cup yawns harder than the Friday one), the movement of paint on paper when you make art, or wind in your hair…curiousity will not kill this musical cat.
Designer: Playtronica
