MaKey MaKey is a circuit board that allows you to create touch sensitive circuits quickly and easily.
This can be used to make accessible instruments in a very intuitive and playful way, responding in the classroom to access needs as they present.
It is also a very easy to use system to teach children how to make their own accessible instruments.
The computer thinks that the board is a normal Qwerty keyboard, so it can be extremely easy to use if you combine with Soundplant or Ableton Live for example.
All you need is to plug the MaKey MaKey board into your computer and connect it to something (like fruit in the image above) with a crocodile clip. This then allows you to make a circuit in order to trigger something (a sound) on your computer.
Please Note
At present there is no independently verifiable information on the safety of using the MaKey MaKey. Running at 5v with all power coming from the USB buss on the computer it is likely to be safe, but paediatricians we have consulted have refused to clear it for use due to lack of data.
At Drake Music we are always transparent with schools and musicians we work with, and very careful if someone has a medical implant, so we would advise users to proceed with caution.
We would welcome support in exploring good data on this so that we can do better risk assessment on this excellent prototyping tool.