World

Australian scientists have created a t-shirt that makes music to the strumming of the wearer’s air guitar.

Incorporating motion sensors, the t-shirt is able to change movement in the elbows, wirelessly relaying them to a computer for interpretation.

Led by engineer Richard Helmer, a team of researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation have developed the technology, which they say has wider implications for the sporting industry.

The “wearable instrument shirt” was described by Mr Helmer as “an easy to use, virtual instrument that allows real time music making, even by players without significant musical or computing skills”.

Using a digital audio file format, the t-shirt “allows you to jump around and the sound generated is just like an original MP3″, he added.

In the future, the technology may allow a person to be virtually recreated, so a computer could give feedback on actions, allowing athletes to improve their technique.

The publicly funded research incorporates the expertise of researchers from the computing, musical composition and textile manufacturing fields.

Mr Helmer said the technology could be adapted to most kinds of clothing, taking apparel “beyond its traditional role of protection and fashion into the realms of entertainment”.