We sometimes get so caught up in product and sales that we forget the creative side of wearables. A cool reminder crossed our desk today: a Mexican company called Machina that makes jackets and hoodies chock full of movement sensors that send out MIDI signals. The result: clothing you can use to make music.
(We’re embedding the video here, but take a look at the whole page; there’s some interesting background there. Besides — if you click through, you might find a contest where you could win a hoodie.)
[youtube https://youtu.be/BPwlpauUKMk]
MIDI is designed to be device-agnostic. The applications in the video generate mostly electronic noise. But there’s no reason that the altimeter in one sleeve couldn’t, say, control the tempo of a drum machine, with an accelerometer controlling pitch or program. And, of course, several people moving together, each playing his own instrument. And maybe a guy with Drumpants, which are shipping soon…