After having a general intro about the definition of digital Fabrication and the fab Labs culture, we have been asked to think of a final project and write a few words about it.

Here is my initial idea about the final projet: THe instrumental maypole

The main principal is to revive a traditional custom that exists or used to exist in Europe, through digital fabrication and encourage somehow the public to use it. The project is more an art installation.

I have therefore decided to re-design and fabricate the traditional "Maypole" and use an interactive element to make people curious about the Maypole and encourage them to dance around it.

The interaction will be related to sound generation as soon as someone touches a ribbon and a different or amplified sound as soon as they start moving around the pole. THe more the dancers the more interesting the sound composition as each ribbon can have its own pre-recorded sound playing.

:: A few words about the Maypole: There are normally 12 ribbons fixed on the top of a pole. There are 12 ribbons, one for each dancer to hold from the ir very tip while dancing aroung the pole.

:: The traditional dance itself is very interesting; The dancers form couples that stand opposite eachother holding a ribbon each. In each couple , one person moves clockwise and one anticlockwise making one movement towards and one away from the circle [Source: nationaltraditionsanddances.wikispaces.com]

:: These particular movements that the dancers do, make their ribbons interweave thus creating a beautiful pattern onto the maypole.