The Stringless ( Laser ) Guitar

Our String-less Guitar senior design project at UCF for electrical engineering (EE). We used lasers to simulate guitar strings. What you do is break the path of the laser on the guitar body and the corresponding "string" plays a sound. The fret board is a series of slim metal traces which act as a touch button.
The micro controller will know which fret you have pressed, and once the laser path is broken, it will play the note. You can slide up and down the string's fretboard to play smooth changing notes while still holding the laser broken. Or you can just play the note in short fast notes , by triggering the laser path on and off.
The MC we used was a three separate ATMEL atmega8. Each MC controls 2 strings. The sound comes from a filtered square wave at changing frequencies. Tuning the guitar is not needed. There are post effects controlled by the knobs on the shell. Distortion, Phaser, and wah.
The guitar outputs to a standard 1/4" jack cable, to use with a standard guitar amp.
Made by EE team: Wes, Joe, Paul, and Tony.
inspired by: Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Opeth, Death, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Dream Theater, Agalloch, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Kalmah, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Moonsorrow, Kamelot, Immortal, Rush, Haggard, Amon Amarth, Testament, Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Symphony X, Therion, Equilibrium, Pantera, Angra, Cynic

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Laser
• guitar
• digital
• Misa
• Stringless
• prototype
• LED
• electrical
• electronic
• senior
• design
• project
• music
• UCF
• student
• university
• central
• florida
• technical
• synthesizer
• sound
• effects
• analog
• experimental
• college
• Ladies
• Noise
• Impossible
• nerdy
• lazer
• Lights
• Technology

[davemcq]

Now i know where the sounds of my atari were made :P :P Good work guys keep at it :)

[cobravince]

i f i were plying a guitar and somebody was playin around with the tone and volume buttons id snap it over his head lol

[MosnoMusic]

You know, I hate winter because the cold weather messes up the tuning on my guitar, especially if i have to play outside! so I've always joked around saying "I need lasers for strings"...I'm telling you, if this technology becomes available & affordable, there will be a market for it! great job fellas, keep up the amazing work :)

[guppyplec]

cool invention, so take away the geek and give a proper guitarist a go

[oneweelr27]

that shits pretty cool, but could you try another video with someone who knows how to play and not just like a test?

[lukefenderrhodes]

@cobravince me too

[INSANESUICIDESOLDIER]

are they talking to R2D2????

[kingcassel]

123 hating people, keep experimants and keep rockin guys!! forget the rest!

[JordDays]

@DmitriSkif Three words: 1) It's 2) a 3) experiment

Palm slapping you in the face closed.

[DmitriSkif]

Three words: 1) bends? 2) sweeps? 3) chords?

Topic closed.

[stude444]

God people, it's just an experiment, calm the fuck down.

[thesynned]

man people can get over themselves, I am a guitar aficionado, but Im not flipping shit about this experiment. Hell I think its pretty damn interesting. It sows an iterest in guitar AND an interest in programming. If nobody combined the two, you wouldnt have that sweet tone that Boston's Tom Scholz pushes out. Its not an insult to musicians, your arrogance is.....