Owen Weber, Sean Obert, Jake Schwarz, Matthew Cloutier
HU3910 – Musical Robotics B24

The sliding harmonic tubes project is a novel new instrument that takes influence from the pipe organ but introduces a sliding mechanism that allows the pipes to change length which adjusts a pitch similar to a trombone. The design draws inspiration from sources including the traditional pipe organ, the Blue Man Group’s Drumbone and robotics organs. Unlike traditional organs this instrument can slide between notes which adds musical possibilities not previously available. For this to be possible stepper motors, pneumatic systems and PVC pipes were all used in conjunction.

The instrument consists of four independently controlled pipes which each include their own microprocessor, stepper system and pneumatic control system. The system integrates with MIDI and each pipe is controlled as a separate MIDI device. This allow the instrument to perform in conjugation with other robotic and electronic instruments. The modular design of the control system allows for complex compositions beyond what is possible with traditional instruments.

CAD models, code and additional information available at the GitHub repository below:
https://github.com/mrc624/Sliding-Harmonic-Tubes