This video captures a demo of the LegoTechno 2.0 Sliding Puzzle Sequencer. It’s built using littleBits Synth + Arduino + CV + NI Maschine + LEGO building pieces.
Technical details:
A Lego Sliding Puzzle Sequencer Controls NI Maschine to sequence three littleBits Synth Kits through control voltage (CV) from an Arduino. It also sends out OpenSoundControl OSC and audio to control reactive visuals on different computers.
Interacting with rhythmic patterns through a tangible sliding puzzle allows for some interesting polyrythmic adventures.
What’s going on there?
Lego bricks can be placed on a eight transparent Lego base plates (16×16) to create rhythmic beat patterns.
Each of the eight baseplates holding the patterns can be moved around on a transparent surface. Whatever pattern (or part of a pattern) is placed in the center of the surface is filmed from below using a Webcam. The image of the brick pattern is analyzed and converted into Midi and OSC Messages that are sent to an Ardunio board, the Maschine Software (and another computer that generates dynamic visuals from the OSC Messages and the audio).
An Arduino board turns the Midi Messages into control voltages to control three littleBits Synth kits that generate the sounds. Additional sounds can be injected from the Maschine software.
The LEGO tangible sequencer was built by:
- Kristian Gohlke / Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
- Michael Hlatky / Native Instruments
- Tobias Baumbach / Native Instruments
- Mickael Le Goff / Native Instruments
Made at Music Hack Day 2014 at the Sonar Festival, Barcelona.
Awesome. One of my friends actually build something similar.
The LEGO is an affectation. You could obtain similar results using posable action figures or Figma or even bits of paper on a tabletop. It’s a visual sequencer based on recognition of predefined patterns.. Must have been a slow news day.