OSU robotics professor Ross Hatton plucks a string on the SpiderHarp, sending a complex pattern of vibrations through the web in July 2022.
Brandon Swanson / OPB
What if a spider could play the harp?
OK, sure, there aren’t spider virtuosos in little tuxedos out there performing harp concerts. But there is a harp-like musical instrument inspired by a spider’s web, complete with a mechanical spider perched in the middle, and it was dreamt up in Oregon. It’s meant to simulate how spiders use vibrations in their webs to understand the world around them. Scientists at Oregon State University wanted to explore how these spidey-senses work, so an engineer who studies spiders and an engineer who designs musical instruments came together to create the SpiderHarp.
OPB “Oregon Field Guide” producer Jule Gilfillan met the team of scientists behind the SpiderHarp and brings us this story of how art, science, humans and spiders meet to make harp music.
Listen to all episodes of The Evergreen podcast here.