Robotic Pipe Organ

The story of a girl who steps into StudentRND. Intrigued and inspired by the possibilities, she explores the world of technology, and changes the world.


Change the World - StudentRND





ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Background

Music, science and mathematics have been closely linked since the dawn of time. There's no greater example of this than the pipe organ. Developed around the fifteenth or sixteenth century, they've been a staple in the Western classical music ever since.

But little has changed since then. They've made them smaller and easier to transport, but no one has attached a robot to one even once.

Goal

We want to build a robotic pipe organ that anyone can play and watch over the internet. We will build it out of 25 PVC pipes allowing a full two octaves of notes to be played. Becuase of its inexpensive design, we'll create a set of plans on Instructables.com as well so that anyone can build their own pipe organ as well. We expect to have this done by the end of summer.

What your money will be used for

We'll use the money to fund parts for the organ (including pipes, motors, and electronics), and live broadcast equipment (a netbook). Tools are provided by StudentRND and its volunteers.

Technical Details
The organ will be played with 25 servos opening and closing valves. They will be controlled with a Propeller microprocessor which will interpret input MIDI files. Files can be uploaded via a companion website that will also live-stream the organ playing music so the instrument will be truly accessible to all.

Air will be provided by a high volume centrifugal fan into a windchest, as is common in most pipe organs.

The size will be comparable to a standard upright grand piano, with a MIDI keyboard attached instead of a mechanical one.

Who We Are

We're StudentRND, a student-run nonprofit organization that inspires students to learn more about science and technology. During the summer, we run a workspace where students gather and work on cool science and technology projects. We also partner with local high school robotics teams to offer them a space to work over the summer.

Cane 2.0: The Tacit Is Hand-Mounted Sonar For The Vision Impaired

Project Tacit: Sonar For The Blind from Grathio Labs on Vimeo.

Every once in a while you see an invention that seems a long time coming. The Tacit, a hand-mounted system that pings surroundings and transmits distance information to the user, is one of those. While the reliable white cane and occasional accommodations for the blind and vision impaired ameliorate the difficulty of navigating the world sans sight, technological advances that are both useful and ready for deployment are few and far between.

Jeff Bridges Maybe I Missed The Point

I know somebody whose life is tough.
I help a little, but it isn't enough
Cuz I go an' spend money on stupid stuff
When I know he's strugglin' to stay above.

An' I have so many chances to be
The hero I believe's inside of me
But I get busy and I get distracted
And I do nothin' when I could've acted

I laid low when I could've stood high.
I said nothin' when I should've asked why.
I saw somethin' that I might've done and I didn't,
A chance to speak my truth and I hid it.

Inside, I'd like to believe I'm cool,
Easy to love and hard to fool,
But I know there's more I could've enjoyed.
Sometimes I find myself thinkin'
Maybe I missed the point.

So many times I turned down love,
Stayed in the dark when I could've lit it up,
But every time I did take a chance
Makes me happy when I'm lookin' back

I'm not sayin' my whole life feels like a joke
But I've been a master of mirrors and smoke
And I don't wanna live
No mo' without you.

The Louvin brothers - My baby's gone

The Louvin brothers - My baby's gone

http://youtu.be/kizPITXG9Ag


CHORUS:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Hold back the rushing minutes
Make the wind lie still
Don't let the moonlight shine
Across the lonely hill
Dry all the raindrops
And hold back the sun
My world has ended
My baby's gone

The Milkman whistles softly
As he comes up to my door

The Mailman brings the letters by
Just like he did before
They seem so busy all day long
As though there's nothing wrong,
Don't they know the world has ended
My Baby's Gone

CHORUS

I wake up sometimes in the night
And realize you're gone
And then I toss upon my bed
And wait for day to come
I try to tell my lonely heart
It must go on alone
But it cries the world has ended
My Baby's Gone

If I Needed You By TOWNES VAN ZANDT (Cover)

If I needed you would you come to me,
Would you come to me, and ease my pain?
If you needed me
I would come to you
I'd swim the seas for to ease your pain

In the night forlorn the morning's born
And the morning shines with the lights of love
You will miss sunrise if you close your eyes
That would break my heart in two

The lady's with me now since I showed her how
To lay her lily hand in mine
Loop and Lil agree she's a sight to see
And a treasure for the poor to find

Once A Gambler Lyrics - Lightnin Hopkins

Yeah, you know I once was a gambler
But I lost my money roll
Yeah, you know I once was a gambler
Boy, but I lost my money roll
That's the reason I don't have no sweet woman
Now I done lost my happy home

You take it down when you lose that no good money
He sat around with his head hung down
When you lose that old dog gone money
You sit around with your head hung down
You will try to borrow you fifty dollars
To start all over again in another town

Too late you gonna lose
Your friends don't pay you no money

Baby, if you only will forgive me
I won't gamble no more
If you only will forgive me, baby
Lord, have mercy, poor Lightnin' won't gamble no more

She says I can't help you now
Sold out to the devil and that's no way to go
And I couldn't help but cry
I cried like I did

She said I didn't want you to gamble, Lightnin'
You know who I am, I'm your wife
She said I didn't want you to gamble, Lightnin'
You know who I am, I am your wife
She's looking at, brother, just like you lost your money
You had a good chance to lose your life

So go ahead on, Lightnin'

Yeah, you know I once was a gambler
But I lost my money roll
Yeah, you know I once was a gambler

Crazy Heart Jeff Bridges Somebody Else

I used to be somebody but now I am somebody else
2x
Who'm might be tomorrow is anybody's guess

What was thought to be the right way turned out the wrong way after all
2x
what I took to be the high road was only leading to a fall

I used to be a preacher, with women, fame, and wealth
2x
From a mighty congregation, to talking to myself

I was cleared of all the charges with money, women and my health
2x
Now that I'm a brand-new man, you belong with someone else

I used to be somebody but now I am somebody else
2x
Who I'll be tomorrow is anybody's guess

CRAZY HEART - Ryan Bingham Performs The Weary Kind

Your heart's on the loose
You rolled them seven's with nothing to lose
And this ain't no place for the weary kind

You called all your shots
Shooting 8 ball at the corner truck stop
Somehow this don't feel like home anymore

And this ain't no place for the weary kind
And this ain't no place to lose your mind
And this ain't no place to fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try

Your body aches
Playing your guitar and sweating out the hate
The days and the nights all feel the same

Whiskey has been a thorn in your side
and it doesn't forget
the highway that calls for your heart inside

And this ain't no place for the weary kind
And this ain't no place to lose your mind
And this ain't no place to fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try

Your lovers warm kiss
It's too damn far from your fingertips
You are the man that ruined her world

Your heart's on the loose
You rolled them seven's with nothing lose
And this ain't no place for the weary kind

Jeff Bridges - I Don't Know (From Crazy Heart)

I don't know baby where we stand
where's the future that we planed
so long ago, ---I don't know
I don't know if your my friend
or a long lost lover comin' back again
Where did you go,,,, I don't know

You'd think by now, I'd know better
Aint got a lot to show
I could write a song,I could write a letter
I could write a book about what I don't know
I watched my life fall thru the cracks
Like a long lost train it ain't coming back
Where did you go-- baby I don't know

You’d think by now that I would know better
But I ain’t got a lot to show
I could write a song I could write a letter
I could write a book about I don’t know

My past is pretty rocky
And my future ain’t long
Why do I think we got a chance at all
Where does the wind blow?
Baby I don’t know
Where does the wind blow?
Baby I don’t know