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About CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

Open to the Public

CSIRO has a range of facilities that are opened to the public, with each offering a unique insight into science research activities and history.

National Research Flagships

Large-scale, long-term, multidisciplinary science to address Australia's major national challenges and opportunities.

Divisions

CSIRO expertise is organised into 15 research areas.

National Facilities

CSIRO manages national facilities and collections that are opened to researchers around Australia and overseas.
- The Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL)
- National Collections - The Australian National Insect Collection, The Australian National Fish Collection, The Australian National Herbarium, The Australian National Wildlife Collection
- The Marine National Facility - The Southern Surveyor
- Telescopes - Parkes, Narrabri, Mopra, Tidbinbilla, VLBI, ASKAP
- Pyrotron

CSIRO's core areas of impact

Astronomy & Space

Climate Change

Energy

Environment

Farming & Food

Health & Wellbeing

Information & Communication Technologies

Manufacturing

Materials

Mining & Minerals

Oceans & Coasts

Transport & Infrastructure

Contact Enquiries: Phone - 1300 363 400 | Email - Enquiries@csiro.au | Contact Us

Audio

A person in a white shirt playing an air guitar.

Dr Richard Helmer playing the air guitar shirt.

Playing the air guitar

Reference: 06/15

In this podcast, Dr Richard Helmer talks about a shirt that lets the user play real music on an air guitar. (5:00)

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In a project intended to demonstrate the potential of technical textiles, a team at CSIRO, led by Dr Richard Helmer, created an objectless musical instrument, or 'air guitar'.

It works by embedding sensors into a shirt, allowing a computer to recognising and interpreting arm movements and produce the sounds of the instrument.

In this podcast, Dr Helmer talks about how the air guitar shirt works and how the same technology could be used for:

computer control
sports medicine
rehabilitation after injuries
diving.

Find out more about It's not rocket science... it's rockin' science.

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Contact Information

Primary Contact

Ms Heather Forward (MBIT)

Communications Officer, Geelong

Materials Science and Engineering

Phone: 61 3 5246 4085

Fax: 61 3 5246 4811

Email: Heather.Forward@csiro.au

Location

CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering - Geelong

Cnr Henry St and Colac Rd

Belmont, Geelong VIC 3216

Australia

Contact: Reception, Geelong

Phone:61 3 5246 4000

Fax:61 3 5246 4057

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