“Sonic Banana” Music Controller (Max/MSP)

Eric Singer, a roboticist and experimental musician, engineered what he calls a “Sonic Banana.”  The rubber worm-like tube houses 4 variable bend sensors which work together to create a malleable and “versatile performance instrument.”

The data is sent through a Max patch which processes the sound and “uses physics formulas to simulate air flow, creating a pumping effect” to play a virtual harmonica. Watch the “Sonic Banana” Harmonica video and visit Eric Singer’s website for some more interesting experiments!