Tuned Stairs is an installation that turns stairs into a playful musical experience. As visitors walk down the stairs leading to the exhibition, their footfalls activate a musical sound. The intention is to remind visitors about the importance of the simplest actions and experiences we take for granted.

Half of each step is covered in a floor sensor matt (leaving the part of the stair for non-participants). Once stepped on, this switch is sent to an Arduino board, which in turn triggers a solenoid hammer, striking a metal resonating bar. Each bar is tuned to produce a different tone. This page shows early prototypes using a cowbell and wooden moving arm.

The project was created for Centre Pompidou in Paris, by the interactive department at Fabrica, project team members included Andy Cameron, Daniel Hirschmann, Hans Raber, Federico Urdaneta and Carlo Zoratti.

More information:
Daniel Hirschmann pages & photos
Fabrica pages
Exhibition information

Why do I blog this? I really like projects that turn everyday transient spaces into playgrounds. Rather than use floor sensors to trigger computer sound samples, they are using real physical objects to produce sound.

This project reminds me of Greyworlds work such as Klang Entree, Stairway and Railings.