Digital Handpan — pelinkiliboz

3D & Motion Design
Interactive
Graphic Design
Research
Music Videos

pelin kiliboz

Digital Handpan
2021
–

This project explores the potential of creating musical instruments using touch sensors, resulting in a digital handpan prototype. Inspired by the dream of turning everyday objects into instruments and the challenge of obtaining a traditional handpan, I developed a digital version using Teensy 4.0 microcontroller, Teensy Audio Shield, MPR121 Proximity Capacitive Touch Sensors, copper tape, speakers, and a power bank.

To achieve the handpan's shape, I designed a laser-cut geodesic dome as the instrument's outer shell. This structure is crafted from MDF, with touch-sensitive pads on each hexagonal and heptagonal section, covered in foam and copper tape. Inside the dome, speakers and a power source are secured, making this portable and interactive.

I adapted an open-source code from Sparkfun and modified it to work with the MPR121 touch sensors, producing a prototype with touch-sensitive pads that play eight notes. Through sketches and iterative design, I experimented with the ergonomic placement of sensors and explored laser-cutting techniques to assemble the dome structure.