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The above video is an advertisement spot for Adidas' new sneaker collection MEGA. To help promote this new line, Adidas enlisted the help of Didier Brun, head of creative technology at SIDLEE Paris. His goal was to create a system where people could use their shoes to create music as they dance - something Didier describes as a modern version of tap dancing.
The requirements for the Megalizer were as follows:
- The system needed to be wireless and worn by the dancer.
- The system could not have cables running out of the shoes.
- The system needed a range of 6-7 meters.
- Very low latency (< 30ms).
- Can handle up to six shoes at once.
- No fakes! The sound created has to come from the dancers' steps.
So Didier set out to create a system that did just that. Using a couple of force sensitive resistors, an Xbee Explorer, and a host of other SparkFun parts, he created a system that seamlessly integrates into Adidas' new line of the shoes. The results, as you can see from the above video, are very impressive.
To read more about the Megalizer project, visit this website. Didier also created a SparkFun wishlist in case you want to try your hand at building your own. Awesome work!
sweet idea. I want to have a drumset on my lap... this is how I could do it!
There's an idea: a band whose instruments are in their clothes! You could add those T-shirts with the guitars on them. lol
Go to thinkgeek.com there ahead of you on that one.
Two words: Wearable Theremin
WHy don't the gravitars work?
I checked it in the profile but saveing the changes don't take effect.
I love that this project has been done so professionally. It has a really finished feel. Many projects we see are so half baked. Bravo!
The pins (DIO + ADC) and the X-CTU software really make this so much easier without having to put an external MCU. That's why XBee sells in numbers!
Incredibly ugly shoes but what an awesome project!
I really like the way he's prototyped this, does anyone have any other examples of product development like this, well documented etc.?
Now thats much more impressive than the previous one with the Birdie racquet's. That sound was awful.
That is impressive, but a whole xbee inside a shoe... surely something smaller and less fragile would've fit the bill... say a Nordic chip or something.
But then again, an xbee is basically plug and play, and Adidas probably wanted it done the day before they approached him
The tech is cool and the video is fun, but the shoes looks ridiculous.
impressive :D