Listen to a Robotic Flute Play Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On"

A DIY auto-flute constructed out of PVC pipe and controlled with Arduino.

Jeremy Cook
4 years agoMusic / Robotics

Percussion and even stringed instruments can make fun automation projects, but what about wind instruments like the flute? Given the skill involved in precisely guiding air into an opening, such automation presents a number of different challenges. This, however, didn’t discourage creator Abhilash Patel, who not only automated a flute’s operation using an Arduino board, but created the flute itself out of a section of PVC pipe!

The build write-up starts with a section on flute creation, which could be an interesting project in itself. The operation is relatively simple — cut a pipe to length and add holes. Perfecting such an instrument, however, is more involved, including calculating length and hole size, and experimentation as needed to correct any errors.

With the flute constructed, Patel was able to perfect the blowing mechanism, which he modestly describes as a “bit complex.” The device uses a cooling fan to continuously blow air, and a pair of servos to vary its path. Flute holes are covered by cuttings of the pipe itself, and sealed with plastic foam. These covers are held into place with rubber bands, then remotely located servos pull each off as needed with lengths of wire.

The robotic flute can be seen in the video below, producing a recognizable rendition of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” Besides being programmable for different songs, it can also play randomly, and even imitate one’s voice via a microphone input.

Jeremy Cook
Engineer, maker of random contraptions, love learning about tech. Write for various publications, including Hackster!
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