A musical playmat powered by Arduino and conductive threads. The playmat allows users to interact with its touch-sensitive zones to generate music and explore creative soundscapes. By incorporating tactile interactions and responsive sound elements, the objective was to create a tool that enables children to explore the world of music through simple and enjoyable play.
Process
Tacto-Tunes is driven by a Bare Conductive Touch Board, seamlessly integrated with conductive threads embroidered in intricate patterns across different sections of the mat. These threads capture real-time tactile inputs, which are mapped to unique sounds using p5.js. The mat's color palette of blue and yellow was carefully chosen to be inclusive, as these colors are the most easily perceived by children, including those with partial blindness, ensuring accessibility for all.
Website
To document the project online, I designed and developed a website with sonic features that complement the mat’s playful and interactive nature. Different sounds play when the mouse hovers over titles and links, reinforcing the tactile-sonic experience of the project. Additionally, I incorporated dashed underlines on hover, mimicking stitched threads to visually tie the digital interface back to the physical design.
