Outcomes

The bars produce a quite pleasant sound, and the solenoids and enclosure are conducive to that. The tuning of the exact motion was difficult, however, because the bars had a tendency to swing and ‘miss’ immediate subsequent strikes. Technical issues with the wiring and detection of the buttons and insufficient time to debug meant that the input buttons were never fully realized, although the code was implemented. In autonomous mode, the solenoids function properly, but the swinging bars provide an inconsistent sound that sounds a bit random, so the programmed songs sound more like ambient wind chimes. The final product is not interactive as we had hoped, but we are satisfied with the visual engagement and sound of the device.