earsucker

Popsci has a really cool article about Jazari, a drum machine robot thing that Patrick Flanagan built so he could play some drums and other percussion instruments with his Wii remotes:

A musician has harnessed the power of two Nintendo Wiimotes to become a cyborg percussionist with the robo-band Jazari. His playing of one drum machine can evoke an automated response from another, so that he can go around the drum circle in a beautiful display of human-robot improvisation.

The man behind the machine, Patrick Flanagan, is a composer who cites music theory, music cognition, and machine learning as the three “chin-stroking disciplines” that influence his work. He created Jazari with a nod to Al-Jazari, a polymath of the Arab world in the 13th century who supposedly created the world’s first robot band.

I think he built something really cool, but dances like a white guy. Watch a video of the bot in action after the jump. (continue reading…)

The good folks over at CollegeCandy.com are having a really awesome and extraordinary giveaway! The prize package is phenomenal and you can win it! I’ve entered!!

Check it out:

1 – Nintendo Wii video game console.
1 – Guitar Hero 5 Bundle (game and band kit) for Nintendo Wii to get the party started.
5 – copies of Guitar Hero 5 for Nintendo Wii – party favors for your friends!
1 – $200 AmEx pre-paid debit card to buy party supplies.
1 – Flip Ultra digital camcorder to record the fun.

All you have to do to enter (TODAY — NOW!!) is this: (continue reading…)