Aeolab's 2015 New Year greeting video features a functional DIY musical calculator toy
assembled by hand out of cardboard and various electronic components, triggering
sound samples on a computer via USB connection. The soundtrack is a familiar melody from
Pocket Calculator (1981) by Kraftwerk, as played from the 'instrument' mid-way
through the video.
Electronics built into the prototype include an E-Ink alhpanumeric display and driver from
SparkFun, 12-button capacitive sensor breakout board
from Adafruit, Arduino Pro Mini and FTDI USB-Serial module.
Software bridge written in Processing receives button presses from the calculator and converts
them to MIDI signals sent to software sampler or synthesizer.