Electronic Trumpet Emulator

Andrew Daetz, a good friend of mine, made this wooden model of trumpet valves as a practice tool. WE discussed developing it into an electronic device that registers the user's motions, and I used this original model for many of the design decisions in the first version I made

The basic concept behind this device was that analog sensors would provide data on each valve position, to be able to track the player's motions digitally. In order to minimize the effects of sensing, I chose time-of-flight sensors. Because I didn't have woodworking tools or experience, I planned to machine pieces out of delrin for its low friction and stability.

A mutual friend of Andrew and I, Jacques Trepanier, was also interested in the project, and plans to help program the interface with the actual system. This device could be a useful practice tool for music students, but also potentially function as a MIDI device for performances, which would have the benefits of being much more lightweight and compact, as well as having MIDI compatibility with filters and pedals.