I’ve seen Raspberry Pis doing a lot of exciting things, from monitoring underwater conservation areas from the back of a turtle to helping winemakers take care of their vineyards in Japan. We’ve sent so many Raspberry Pis into space that it’s almost par for the course these days — but seeing one go down the runway at New York Fashion Week is something I never thought would happen.

How it’s made

The Koi-Tar guitar is a MIDI controller made from an SLA-printed housing with PCB capacitive touch sensors designed to look like lily pads. The beautiful resin body was modelled in Blender using water physics simulations to make it look like a splash frozen in time. It’s powered by a SPOKE-mini resistor array that’s home to a Raspberry Pi Pico. During the development process, musicians Benn Jordan and Venus Theory played the guitar and gave feedback on how to improve the design.

This Koi-Tar is part of maker/engineer Monique Evette’s Whimsical Machines series. The end goal is to have an orchestra’s worth of instruments fairies might play (hence the “whimsical”). After getting a degree in computer science and physics, Evette spent many years working as a software engineer, all the while cultivating her artistic practice. Now, as Evette’s Niche, she gets to do both. Monique explains: “I love making art inspired by engineering concepts and celebrating the beauty of the natural world.”

More mind-bending designs

You can pore over more of these enchanting creations on these platforms, and, if you think you can pull any of them off, some designs are available to purchase through the Evette’s Niche online shop. The pieces don’t come cheap, but they are exquisite original works of art that you can wear, play, or display.

A particular favourite is this Apollo 11 hatch chest plate, which was worn to an event at the Kennedy Space Center.