Here’s a cool glove that is getting some play (literally) because it involves old school audio tape. It caught my interest on Hackaday because the traces remind me of those done in copper tape art, plus, ever since my trip to Berlin I have a renewed interest in audio, too. This project is called Sonophore and it was created by a duo of UK artists called Signal to Noise a few years ago. It was recently part of “Wycombe Listening”, an experiential sound art event. Sound lovers were encouraged to wear the glove and move it across different paths of tape for an audio experience. The taped recordings for this event were actually based on community member interviews. Of course, the words were transformed into art, as each user discovered that their speed and direction had an affect on the playback.
The glove uses a magnetic tape head in the fingertip with a wireless sound transmitter. This old technology with a new delivery is creating some fun banter, as people take sides on whether it is art or just clunky tech. Since I’m coming from a hackerspace with a love of old made new, I’m definitely liking it. In fact, I think it really accentuates architecture as it goes over uneven walls or small cracks; it makes the wearer part of the structure. Some of you might be on the “modern only please” bandwagon, and I get it. You should check out our FLORA MIDI Drum Glove. You can tap your own beats, assigning your own samples to your fingertips. Personally, I would love a video of your finished glove with some original music. Did I mention how much I love the sounds on our glove? Adabot = priceless.
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!