The amazing Beatjazz Hands 3D-printed gestural digital music interface

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The Beatjazz system's wireless hand controllers are played using modified saxophone fingerings

The complete Beatjazz system, three gestural controller interfaces and software built and designed in Pure Data

The headmounted pressure weighs about the same as a smartphone

The exposed circuitry of the Emaker Huxley Reprap open-source 3D printer inspired a number of the design choices for the new Beatjazz controller

Onyx Ashanti's 3D printed Beatjazz digital music system

Each of the 3 units uses an Arduino Fio running Firmata to interface with the sensors, and XBee Series 1 wireless transceivers for communication

Onyx Ashanti's 3D printed Beatjazz digital music system

Each unit features 1mW XBee Series 1 wireless transceivers and there are 63mW Series 1 Pros on the base station nodes

The mouthpiece is worn around the neck and hooked over the ears

The Emaker Huxley Reprap open source 3D printer with some Beatjazz prototypes

A 3D printed hand controller with beautifully exposed circuitry and wiring

Each of the 3 units uses an Arduino Fio running Firmata to interface with the sensors

A completed Beatjazz hand controller poses in front of the 3D printer

Close up of the hand controller before the circuitry is mounted

The bright red color is not paint, it is fire red PLA fed into the 3D printer

Onyx Ashanti creating some improvised digital music using the Beatjazz system

Digital music artist and inventor Onyx Ashanti has created a gestural interface controller for his Beatjazz music system, which is made from 80 percent 3D printed components

Information from sensors on each unit is sent wirelessly to a computer where the Beatjazz system translates the dance-like movements and controller commands into digital music output

Onyx Ashanti says that around 80 percent of the new controller is 3D printed, making it both durable and lightweight

Onyx Ashanti's Beatjazz gestural music interface

Onyx Ashanti creating some improvised digital music using the Beatjazz system

Yes, he does look like he's been assimilated by the Borg but that kind of fits the music, doesn't it?

Onyx Ashanti creating some improvised digital music using the Beatjazz system

Close up of a red Beatjazz hand controller after the circuitry has been mounted

There's no mistaking the name of this system

Article Summary

A few days ago, my colleague Eric Mack brought together eight of the coolest items produced by 3D printing - I'd now like to add a ninth. Digital music artist and inventor Onyx Ashanti has spent the last couple of years creating a wearable system to help him break away from the confines of the front of a computer screen and create improvised music using wireless gestural interface controllers. His original prototype Beatjazz controller was made from cardboard and featured pressure sensors, accelerometers and an iPhone. The vast majority of the latest version has been 3D printed, and it looks and sounds incredible.

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