RADA™ is a robotic musical ensemble comprised of three custom-made membranophones with different sizes. Using Arduino boards with custom-made shields to activate several motors and solenoids controlled via MIDI. The ensmeble was later expandend using internal loudspeakers, batteries, single board computers and a mobile structure, in order to study and experiment the use of mobile actuated musical robots in a performance context and the sonic possibilites within the acoustic space. Subsequently used in the NKISI project.
RADA™ was premiered at Semibreve Festival 2018, as a sound installation performing a self-generating algorithmic composition, programmed in MaxMSP. Based on a set of tradional haitian songs, it used genetic algorithms to develop a continuous set of rhythmic patterns slowly evolving through mutations.
Github page with code and schematics.
Special thanks to: Gil MAC, Cláudio Vidal, Tiago Fróis, Américo Simões, FEUP (Faculty of Engineering - University of Porto), Oficinas do Convento, and Sonoscopia.
This projected was supported by FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology - Portugal).
