Cyborg Instrument Reads Tattoos Like A Musical Score [Video]
The Tattoo Sound Controller reads skin ink like sheet music.
Created by Moscow-based media artist Dmitry Morozov, the Tattoo Sound Controller is a sound instrument that uses tattoos as a musical score.
The instrument is mounted onto the arm and consists of a railing, hand holders, and sensors that move along the arm using a stepper motor. It is also fitted with a three-dimensional Wii remote controller that enables additional expression when the user moves his hand in space.
The tattoo that serves as music sheet is specifically designed for this application and the artist can manually control the movement of the sensors to create variations in the sound patterns.
The artist describes the device as an instrument that “combines human body and robotic system into a single entity that is designed to automate creative process in an attempt to represent the artist and his instrument as a creative hybrid.”
Dmitry Morozov is known for his DIY and circuit-bent music instruments like the “post code,” which reads bar codes and interprets them as music.
Check out a video of the Tattoo Sound Controller at work below.