Microfluidic Equalizer -- Schumann's Quartet for Piano

Each of the 7 microvalves (bottom of the image) opens when the music volume exceeds a set threshold in a given band of frequency assigned to that microvalve. The script that converts the music into on/off signal for the microvalves is written in LabView. The microvalves open microchannels containing dye. Flanking the microvalves is a constant background flow of colorless water, which keeps the dyed fluids focused in separate streams. Due to a microfabrication defect, the microvalves leak fluid even when closed, but that produces a pleasant artistic effect. The music is the 2nd movement of the Quartet for Piano by Robert Schumann, interpreted by the Beaux Arts Trio (piano: Menahem Pressler). Unfortunately, about 40 sec into the music, a bubble developed inside the second left-most channel (blocking it), so it stopped producing a colored stream.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Microfluidic
• Equalizer
• Robert
• Schumann
• Quartet
• for
• Piano