Wearable music controller

Made with a LilyPad Xbee and an accelerometer, this weareable sound controller transmits wireless information of movement (X, Y, Z) via an Xbee radio to a second Xbee radio connected to a computer running PureData.

LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing.

LilyPad is as easy to use as the Arduino, giving you the power to create interactive textiles. There are various input boards and actuators available and they’re even “washable”, with due precautions. This sample it’s just an introduction to the topic, and a starting point to learn the basics about LilyPad and configure Xbee radios.

The Xbee works through a radio frequency which can wirelessly transmit data via the 802.15.4 protocol. Fauldi and Hartman created a LilyPad Xbee board from the original design of the LilyPad. LilyPad Xbee paired with the LilyPad microcontroller adds more capabilities for the data transmitted to be manipulated. Fauldi and Hartman’s motivation to create the LilyPad Xbee was to make performance pieces wireless. Performers (often dancers) would get tangled in wires and choreography was sometimes limited to wire lengths. The LilyPad Xbee allows performers more freedom with their movements without the hindrance of carrying large chunky electronics glued or Velcroed in their costumes. Faludi says having wearables accommodating data from the body makes it physically and psychologically a closer space, like an extender body of data around performers.