Week 1 | Principles Practices | Jan 17

Fab Academy 2018 | Archive


Sketch of Final Project



Why I choose this project

The "MACHINE MUSIC". My interest in music and making made me choose to make a machine play flute. The melody of flute is always liked by people and I want to make it more interesting by making it play with a machine. By this I will be able to understand the mechanism of flute and also clear my concept of making a machine. I am planning to make design a flute by myself. In this world of automization where machines are replacing humans, I want to develop a machnie which will replace a flutist.

What us Flute

Flute is musical instrument which work on blow of air with 6 hole to be controlled by finger tips for melodius music. This instrument also has religious importance, in India if you go to Lord Krishna's temple you will always find a flute in his hand. In Indian classical music we use a Bamboo flute which is one of the important part and one of the oldest instrument. The flute pipe is closed at one end and the melodius sound in it is due to vibration created and resonant frequency produced at the open end. Flutes are also made from PVC pipes and here I am using one PVC flute.

Places where it can be used

In most of the band you will find a flutist playing melodious music. It will be able to replace a flutist if we make a machine which can produce the same melody sound like a flutist. By modifying this we will also be able to develop new musical instrument and if we have a machine making playing music, we can also produce our own music. This can also be modificed using Artificial Intellegence i.e the machine can learn to produce music and also play by itself.

Components that I am planning to use

  • Servo Motors : For controlling the holes instead of fingers
  • Variable rpm motor : For controlling the blow used in flute
  • Ultrasonic sensor : For measuring the distance of the peson(used as a input device)


  • Technical skills needed

  • Design a blower in Autocad
  • 3D printing of stand used for servos
  • Laser cutting of stand used for flute and for holding of dervo
  • Making PCB
  • Algorithm for playing songs
  • Learning about the pitch and notes used in flutes i.e Flute Physics