Harmonibots

Explanation of Sound Production

by Sky Macklay

Harmonibots is an interactive sonic and kinetic installation of harmonica-playing inflatable sculptures. The bots are inflatable plastic shapes with the inner “blow reeds” and combs of harmonicas strategically affixed in their air-escape points. High-power fans (often called air movers or squirrel cage fans) animate the bots and produce the sound by exciting the harmonica tines. Using motion sensors and individually switchable plugs from a home-automation system, the clusters of harmonibots react to the people in the gallery and only come to life when a person comes near. Therefore, listeners can sculpt their own experiences by taking different paths through the installation. Some clusters of harmonibots play major triads in a single key while other groups play major triads from many keys simultaneously. This iteration of the installation contains a total of 70 harmonicas.