Jazari: The one man Wii band

It isn't often that you see the fusion of software, hardware and pure creative genius. You can't deny that this is something else entirely -- seriously, you can stop reading here and just watch the video after the cut.

If you're still here, perhaps seeking a little more convincing, get this: Patrick Flanagan, presumably a rather big nerd, has taken two Wii Remotes and bonded them to a bunch of percussion instruments -- bongos, djembes, that kind of thing. Through some homebrew software and some seriously awesome robotics/actuators, his movements and button pushes on the Wiimote make music. He can then create loops, alter the syncopation and even mess with the modulation of the beat. At the end of the video he demonstrates an 'AI mode' where the computer learns from past beats and tries to follow his lead -- awesome.

The entire ensemble is called Jazari. Please watch the video after the break; even if you don't have a single musical or geeky bone in your body, it might just convert you. And no, I can't see a download for the software... alas.

[via Gizmodo]

Tags: contraption, drums, engineering, gadget, games, hardware, music, percussion, software, wii