A pair of fascinating projects have come to my attention...

[KB7DQH]

http://forums.songstuff.com/topic/19193-functional-backpack-mounted-pipe-organ/

A project which could take the pipe organ to "new heights" ??? ??? ???

!!WARNING!! Side effects of the Borgan include the uncontrollable urge to dance and grow a mustache. Other less common side effects may include such exotic symptoms as: Flying, precognition, pyrokinesis and human washing machine. Consult a physician immediately if you wake up with clean clothes on.
---------------------------------------------------------------------


Greetings everyone!

I'm trying to get the word out on a project that I recently launched.

I'm an independent musician and inventor and I'm building exactly what the title describes. It will be, to my knowledge, the very first small-scale, functional, self-powered & wearable pipe organ. To get this project off the ground, I've started a Kickstarter page to do some fund-raising.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461644610/functional-pipe-organ-backpack-the-borgan

If you or anyone you know can pitch in a dollar or two, it would be much appreciated! Even if you can't throw some money in the hat, please share the link to the project page with as many people as you can.

Thank you!!!

I plan to make a light-weight, fully functional, small-scale WEARABLE pipe organ! I have a passion for strange instruments and I hope to create one of my own. My ultimate goal is to not only create this instrument, but to also document and share instructions on its design so that others can build them in the future. At the end of the project, I will post the instructions online for free.

The pipes will be arranged on a back-pack frame and I will construct each pipe by hand myself. Said pipes will be linked at the base via flexible tubing to a combination keyboard and wind-chest(pressurized box) worn on the musician's front. Keys on the outside of the box will activate valves within and allow air to flow to the desired pipes. The air pressure will either be provided by human power generated by the musician's steps or by a air source along the lines of a battery operated leaf blower. After building the pipes I will experiment to see which method of pressurizing the air-box would be better suited to the project. This will be a lovely, strange and one of a kind instrument!


Each musical instrument we enjoy today was created by some half-crazy individual at some point in the past. Quite often the first instrument of its kind was rather crude compared to what it evolved into. My hope is that I can generate the spark that will lead to others running with and improving my initial design, eventually leading to a brand-new and unique instrument in the musical world. At present I lack the finances to make this dream a reality.

That is where you come in! All it will take is enough people pitching in a little bit each and I will be able to start this project. The money raised will make it possible to cover the cost of materials and components that I need in order to create the Borgan. In exchange, I can offer various rewards that will share the end result with those who were able to contribute.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I thank you in advance for your support! Even if you can't contribute monetarily, if you could at least take the time to pass the link to my project along to others via email, Facebook, etc. that would be a huge help!

(FAQ's and answers follow...)

    *
      Are you crazy?

      Yes, a little :)
      Last updated: Wednesday Jun 8, 7:04pm EDT
    *
      Why put a pipe organ on your back?

      To answer a question with a question... why NOT put a pipe organ on your back? I have a love for portable, acoustic instruments. A back-pack pipe organ takes it to the next level!
      Last updated: Wednesday Jun 8, 7:05pm EDT
    *
      What gave you the idea to make this instrument?

      I was online one day and saw that someone in Europe was selling a bunch of old organ pipes. I thought to myself, "What would I do with a bunch of organ pipes." My answer to myself came almost instantly, "I'd strap them to my back!!!"
      Last updated: Wednesday Jun 8, 7:06pm EDT
    *
      Will you sell this instrument?

      No, I have no plans to sell the Borgan once it's finished. I might make a second one if someone commissions me to, but the original is going to stay with me so that I can share it with others :)
      Last updated: Wednesday Jun 8, 7:11pm EDT

And the following give a whole new meaning to the term "detached console" but has implications in the production of inexpensive instruments capable of competing with electronics in small worship spaces :o ;D ;)



http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studentrnd/robotic-pipe-organ

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 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. Follow our summer adventures at Facebook.com/StudentRND!
FAQ

What is also intriguing about both projects is the locations on planet Earth where both are being conceived...

Eric
KB7DQH

[revtonynewnham]

Hi

Nothing really new in either project.  The backpack organ is not too different in principle from the Medieval portative organ, the smaller ones often being depicted hung round the player's neck.

I seriously wonder if these are in fact scams - or jokes.

Every Blessing

Tony

[KB7DQH]

The "backpack" organ, maybe ???

But the Student Research and Development gang is very much "for real"...

http://studentrnd.org/

From the founder and CEO of Student Research and Development 8)

Introduction to StudentRND
November - 28 - 2009 - Saturday

To put it bluntly, science and technology is very important. Without it, we wouldn't have computers, iPhones, GPS, Facebook, and many other things we rely on today. However, it's really disappointing at the same time to see students discouraged from pursuing STEM (Science/Tech/Engineering/Math) subjects.

Having been a high school student myself, I noticed that students don't dislike STEM — they reap the benefits of modern technology every day. However, classes don't quite engage students in the right way.

You don't learn to ride a bike by reading a textbook, watching a video, and then taking AP Bike Riding, do you? You learn to ride a bike by actually riding it.

It's the same thing with science and technology. It's all about inquiry — having a question, and finding an answer to it. Newton famously sat under an apple tree. An apple fell on his head. He asked: "Why does the apple fall to the ground?" Well, he came up with the theory of gravity to explain it. He didn't find the answer in a textbook somewhere.

We need to give students opportunities to get hands on experience with the STEM fields — to explore the creative aspect of science.

I transferred to Interlake High School in my senior year and joined the robotics team. Being on the robotics team lead me to a realization:

We build libraries for people who love books, sports fields for people who love sports, shopping malls for people who love shopping, and so many other places for people with different passions. Why do we do it?

I offer three reasons. You can interpret it your own way, and it's fine, because it's up for interpretation. There are definitely more than three reasons for why we do them. But these three reasons illustrate what I'm trying to say.

   1. It offers us physical SPACE. Space is important, by all means. I'm sure most of you have a dining room to eat, a bedroom to sleep, a family room to play, etc. Space is important since it sets us in the mood for what we want to do. Likewise, each space mentioned above gets us in the mood for the activity associated with it.
   2. It offers us ACCESSIBILITY. If I want to read the world's books, I may not have the money to buy all of the books I want to read. Nor might I have money to build a regulation-size sports field in my backyard. We build these places so that everyone can get access to it — by doing this in a "potluck" fashion, we gain more than we put in.
   3. It builds a COMMUNITY. Book clubs, sports teams, etc — they all benefit from a community that supports and inspire each other.

Most of the time, you have the stereotypical "geek", "nerd", "mad scientist", whatever, with his (or her!) workshop or laboratory in his/her garage, basement, etc. This doesn't contribute to accessibility or a community.

We need to build a STEM community center to inspire students to learn more about science and technology. Somewhere where a student can take a project idea, and bring it to reality by getting access to resources, equipment, tools, and materials that he/she would need to do so.

That's what we want to do here at StudentRND. Build this STEM community center and inspire students to learn more about science and technology.

We have finally gotten our Workspace running as planned. Summer 2011: expansion. And we won't stop until we have one of these in every city in the USA — just like how we have a library in every city in the USA.

To do this, we need your help. We need:

   1. A space for summer 2011! (We'll take what we can get!)
   2. Volunteers
   3. Interested and disinterested students to visit and use the workshop
   4. Money

Inspired? Contact Us, and we'll let you know how to help.

– Edward Jiang, CEO and Founder

And they are building a pipe organ ;D


Eric
KB7DQH

[KB7DQH]

An update-- the Student R&D kickstarter fundraising campaign for the "robotic pipe organ" has successfully exceeded its goal!  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Moreover the documentary film project filming the construction and installation of C.B. Fisk Opus 139 also has exceeded its funding goal as well... ;) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

http://www.kickstarter.com/

Eric
KB7DQH