A British artist by the name of Alex Allmont has created a functional art piece dubbed the “Clunky Drummer.”
According to Makezine, the elegant one-motor LEGO drum machine features an Atmel-powered Arduino, a proto shield on top wired with a LEGO Power Functions (connector), a Digital Delay pedal and a Drumcomputer MFB-522.
Allmont told the Makezine blog that “Clunky Drummer” is an attempt to express his fascination with manufacturing, albeit with a specific emphasis on the textile industry.
“I wanted to find a playful way to engage with those mechanisms, slow down the workings so you can really pick them apart mentally. LEGO works really well because it’s rather clunky, it puts constraints on what you can do so you have to work around it,” he explained.
“Most people are familiar with LEGO so a tactility in holding and playing with the bricks and I think this makes it easier to mentally get under the hood of my machines. I keep my pieces small scale to keep things tangible. It’s important to me that it’s not robotic, there is no hidden control system, all the relevant workings are there to see running from one motor.”
Interested in learning more about the “Clunky Drummer?” You can check out Alex Allmont’s portfolio here.
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 