Taxi creates music based on the environment it is travelling through

The Make The City Sound Better project has equipped a London black cab with the technology to create music for the passenger based on the locations they are passing through.

Both consumers and businesses usually see transportation as a fairly functional necessity, rather than an enjoyable way to get around a city. Coming at it from a different perspective, the Make The City Sound Better project hopes to provide a new experience for passengers by equipping a London black cab with the technology to create music based on the locations they are passing through. Conceived by Denmark-based audio product manufacturer, AIAIAI, in collaboration with UK sound artist Yuri Suzuki, the campaign saw the taxi fitted with microphones and large speakers. Sounds collected by the microphones were translated in real-time through a computer algorithm to create music whose basis was the ambient sounds of the city. This music was then played to passersby through the speakers, although the rider could listen on their own headphones for a clearer sound. All of the tracks were recorded and uploaded onto Soundcloud so that passengers could listen again to their journey. The taxi service was available in London for a week at the end of last month. The following video shows how the taxi was constructed: Just like Italy’s ‘Train of Taste or the soundtrack compiled for the Gatwick Express trip in the UK, the Make The City Sound Better project takes cues from the local environment to offer a more entertaining trip for customers. Could this kind of idea be taken up by other transport providers? Spotted by: Raymond Neo and Murray Orange