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Final Project: Smart Morin Khuur - The Glowing Melodies

1. Project Concept & Motivation​

The idea for my final project comes from my two passions: music and making. I'm currently a drummer in our company band at Seeed Studio, and recently, I've started learning a beautiful traditional Mongolian instrument—the Morin Khuur (Horsehead Fiddle).

While the Morin Khuur has a deep, soul-stirring sound, I feel it could have a more modern "stage presence." I want to design an interactive 3D-printed enclosure that fits onto the instrument. The goal is to have the fiddle "react" to the music I'm playing. I think it would be amazing to see the instrument glow and change colors in sync with the rhythm during a performance, bringing a traditional piece of art into the modern "Maker" world.

2. Sketch & Design​

I've put together a conceptual sketch to visualize how this would look.

Smart Morin Khuur conceptual sketch (The sketch is generated by Google Gemini)

Key features of my design:

  • Artistic Enclosure: I'm planning to 3D print a pink-purple shell that goes over the soundbox. It will have a galloping horse relief to match the "Horsehead" theme.
  • Respecting the Instrument: I'll make sure the shell has the same "F-holes" as the original fiddle so the sound isn't muffled.
  • Lighting: I want to place LED strips along the neck and the edges of the new shell to create a cool atmosphere.

3. How I Imagine It Working​

I want the system to be quite simple but effective. It's basically a "Hear and React" system:

  • Picking up the sound: I'll add a small microphone sensor to the enclosure. This will be the "ear" of the project, listening to the volume and the beat of my playing.
  • The "Brain": Inside the shell, there will be a microcontroller. I don't need anything too complex; it just needs to take the signal from the microphone and tell the lights what to do.
  • The Visuals: Based on how loud or fast I play, the LED strips will change. For a slow, sad song, maybe they'll breathe slowly in blue; for a fast, upbeat song, they could flash more energetically.

Since I'm still quite new to the technical side of things, my main focus for Fab Academy will be figuring out how to make this shell fit perfectly and getting the lights to sync up nicely with the music.