Mark Rober’s Chopstix is fun to play around with, but MIT researchers have created something even more interesting, called ‘KnittedKeyboard II’. Put simply, it’s basically a keyboard made from fabric that can be easily folded, rolled up, and packed in luggage like a piece of clothing.
It uses digital knitting technology consisting of a collection of functional (electrically-conductive and thermoplastic) and non-functional (polyester) fibers. The end result is a wearable 5-octave piano-patterned textile for expressive and virtuosic sonic interaction. Both individual and multiple keys are capable of simultaneously sensing touch, as well as continuous proximity, stretch, and pressure.
- Pro Production from the Get-Go - Portable USB MIDI keyboard controller for Windows and Mac laptops with a compact design and 32 miniature piano-style...
- Customisable Response – Mini keys with selectable velocity curves match any playing style inc’l traditional piano, synthesizer, key-based beat...
- Immediate Creativity - Enjoy a simple plug-and-play connection to Mac or PC. No additional drivers or external power supply required for seamless...
The KnittedKeyboard II combines both discrete controls from the conventional keystrokes and expressive continuous controls from the non-contact theremin-inspired proximity sensors by waving and hovering on the air, as well as unique physical interactions enabled by the integrated fabric sensors (e.g. squeezing, pulling, stretching, and twisting),” said the researchers.
