Solar Instruments

Solar-powered / controlled instruments

Instruments that use sunlight for power and sound control.

  • Sound
  • Solar
  • Electronics
Solar string instrument with circular reflective panels

Playing with light

A series of solar-powered and solar-controlled instruments that use sunlight to shape sound. Microcontroller programming uses light to control oscillation and effects such as pitch shifting and ring modulation. The builds combine solar panels, light sensors and soft potentiometers.

In detail

A hand plays the circular controls of a square solar synthesizer
Solar synthesizer

Materials & credits

Materials & tools
PLA, acrylic, solar panel, soft potentiometer, LDR (light-dependent resistor), microcontroller