MAVIS the print making, internet connected musical keyboard

Created by the very lovely Fieldwork, a Manchester-based studio, it's a Musically Articulated Visual Illustration System – a hand-built instrument, designed and made specifically for a recent exhibition called The Science of Play.

"We built a machine that exhibition visitors can use to generate one-of-a-kind prints to take away with them. MAVIS is a hand-built keyboard, connected to a computer and the internet via an Arduino. Play the keys to make sounds as someone else turns the handle, and MAVIS draws lines on the spooling paper as you go. When you're done, cut off your print and take it with you."

MAVIS even has her own website, where she automatically posts her players’ sessions, in real-time, as digital representations of the prints they produce. Check out MAVIS live on the web.