WNYT: Invention opens world of music to people with disabilities
Published:
Saturday, October 17, 2015 - 09:40
Imagine having a love for music -- but not being able to play most instruments because you're a quadriplegic.
A local company set out to make music available to everyone -- with help from SUNY Polytechnic.
It's through something called a “Jamboxx.”
Its creators say it is about to change the way people with physical disabilities create music.
The idea started years ago -- when Mike DiCesare's next door neighbor -- who is a quadriplegic -- told him he wanted to play music.
“The only instrument that he could play was a harmonica. So we developed the “Jamboxx” as a way for him to play electronic music,” DiCesare explained.
The “Jamboxx” hooks into a computer through a USB -- and a program allows someone to compose music -- with any instrument -- electronically.
However, the initial prototype was expensive -- and wore out too quickly.
So My Music Machines Inc. came to SUNY Polytechnic for a solution.
“We've spent about a year and a half developing the component itself,” noted Dr. Jim Castracane, a professor at the school.
Where the old “Jamboxx” had two metal contacts that wore out -- the technology developed by SUNY Polytechnic relies on an LED and a detector for it.
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
[video width="426" height="240" mp4="http://sunypoly.edu/apps/blogs/news/files/2015/10/WNYT_10-16-2015_18.27.15.mp4"][/video]
