Doubles is a unique new instrument that really brings out the “performance” in performance art. It reacts to acceleration and centrifugal force to create sound. I wouldn’t call this “music” exactly, but the premise looks pretty cool. Beads on the surface are spun using what look like air hockey paddles. The relative speed of the beads influences the sound that is produced. As you can see in the video below, this instrument can be played by multiple people, leading to some unique sound creations. Watching the video, I feel like I’m missing something, since all the sounds are pretty much the same. Maybe it’s being played by an inexperienced player?

This work applied the philosophy from “tai chi”: “It is neither existing nor not existing.” The interactive factors and feedback answer the philosophy aptly. It is based on the simple principle that the rolling of a bead will lead to reduction in friction. When the player makes the physical objects move a sliding effect of acceleration and centrifugal force is created to compute the audio and visual effect in the installation.

Via Make