This is a new word coined by S. Mann, following correct Greek etymology. Many musical instrument names are of Greek origin, e.g. "xylophone" ("ξυλόφωνο") comes from "xylo" ("ξυλό") which means "wood", and "phone" ("φωνο") which means "sound".
"Hydraulophone" ("υδραυλόφωνο") means "sound from pressurized liquid" (i.e. hydraulics and sound).
Other instruments (strings, percussion, wind) make sound from vibrations in solid matter:
• Stringed instruments make sound from long slender ("1-dimensional") solid matter;
• Percussion instrumnts make sound from flat membranes (e.g. "2-dimensional" skins), or bulk solids ("3-dimensional");
• Wind instruments make sound from matter in its gas state.
Thus we have 3 categories that make sound from (1) Solid matter; (2) Solid matter; and (3) Gas.
Something is missing from this "Solid, Solid, Gas" ontology! So S. Mann invented not just one, but a whole new family of many musical instruments that make sound from matter in its liquid state, e.g. water, and named this category of instruments "hydraulophones".
Now, for the first time in human history, water has a "voice". Listen to the above videos to hear what it sounds like.
There is already a well-established market for hydraulophones. There are three licensees of S. Mann's hydraulophone inventions:
- http://Splashtones.com makes and sells hydraulophones.
- WhiteWater West, world's largest manufacturer of aquatic play equipment, and their subsidiary, SCS Interactive. WhiteWater West has been purchasing the "innards" from S. Mann and C. Aimone, which are made by hand at S. Mann's home, in Mann's workshop space.
- Crystal Fountains.
There is a very large market for the product, as WhiteWater West wishes
to install hydraulophones in most of the waterparks and splash pads and
aquatic play areas around the world.
See http://www.whitewaterwest.com/aquatune.html
.
Above is a picture of one we installed in Legoland California. We
have similar installations at many other locations such as
African Lion Safari, Chicago Children's Museum, the
Experimentarium in Copenhagen, and the
CNIB to help with
rehabilitation of blind and deafblind children using hydraulic touch, as
pictured below:
With S. Mann's duties as a professor, he is not able to keep up with the
high demand for the product.
As a result, there is a great business opportunity here,
to create a manufacturing process and bring this product to market,
beyond the small number of hand-made units made at S. Mann's home.
• Watershapes (non-technical magazine) article
• Nessie the Hydraulophone: A Water-Driven Musical Object for Children,
• Wikipedia
Technical papers:
• Water jets as pixels: Water fountains as both sensors and displays
• Hyperacoustic instruments: Computer-controlled instruments that are not electrophones (this paper also introduces another invention, the pagophone)
• User-interfaces based on the water-hammer effect: water-hammer piano as an interactive percussion surface
Due to the high market demand for the product, a large number of infringing products began being installed throughout the world. Patent infringement has been quickly and successfully defended against: S. Mann. ats. Waterplay Solutions Corp., Statement of Claim issued in a United States court. Infringer complied by ceasing the sale of infringing products before the matter went to trial in court.
Another musical instrument invention is the andantephone.