Finger-Tapping Beats: Musical Poster is Activated by Touch

drum kit musical poster

The abundance of electronics in the home, in the workplace, and all around us has led to a sharp downturn in the amount of paper we use – but this poster is bringing paper and electronics together. The drum beat poster was created by a UK team of scientists, designers, and programmers called Novalia. With just your fingers, you can play a full seven-piece drum kit.

The posters are printed with electrically conductive ink that makes up a number of touch sensors. These sensors are attached to a simple circuit board. Just like a capacitive touchscreen on a phone or tablet, the poster recognizes your touches and plays corresponding drum sounds.

novalia musical poster

Two versions of the poster are in development: one connects via Bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad so that you can play along with your favorite music. The other would integrate a speaker into the poster’s surface. On both versions, the electronics module is separate from the paper and cardboard components, so the posters would be simple to recycle.

submit to reddit
See more in Digital Design or under Technology. August, 2013.