Movementbecomes music.

With a keyboard: Tab to a band. Hold the space bar to pull it, or press Enter to have a hand hold it.

MELODIC is building an fitness band that turns movement into music, together with people living with dementia, families and carers.

Pull a band. Let go at a hand to keep it pulled.

Music style
How it works

From use to sound

It looks like an ordinary fitness band from physiotherapy. Woven into it are conductive fibres whose electrical resistance changes as the band is used and pulled. A small controller measures this and sends the values via Bluetooth to a tablet, where an app turns them into music in real time.

  1. Usethe band
  2. Measureconductive fibres
  3. Sendcontroller, Bluetooth
  4. Soundapp on a tablet

More effort, fuller music

A simplified preview. Drag the grip to the right and hear tempo, rhythm, instruments and volume grow with effort.

Music style
Tempo
Rhythm
Instruments
Volume
Drawing in three parts. On the left, two sensor fitness bands in blue and green. In the middle, older people exercise standing with bands in front of a screen showing music notes and colours. On the right, three people exercise seated at a table.
  1. The prototype:fitness bands with sensors, developed with DITF Denkendorf.
  2. In a group:up to four people exercise together while music and images appear on screen.
  3. Seated:the exercises also work at a table.

Built together, tested in everyday care

MELODIC takes shape where it will be used: in care facilities, together with the people who live and work there.

  1. Understand

    30 interviews and 10 days of observation show what daily life looks like for people with dementia, their families and care staff.

  2. Design together

    In 15 workshops, residents, families and care staff help shape the system.

  3. Build

    The sensor band becomes robust enough for daily use by up to four people at once, with a tablet app and a personal music selection.

  4. Evaluate

    LivingLabs in three care facilities, a pilot study with 15 and a final study with 50 participants examine what changes for quality of life and social participation.

Three years, eight aims

October 2026 to September 2029

  • Research
  • Design and development
  • Evaluation
  • Ethics and transfer

Today:

  1. Understand daily life and needs, Research: Months 1 to 3
  2. Co-design workshops, Design and development: Months 2 to 6, Months 20 to 24, Months 26 to 30
  3. Develop prototype and app, Design and development: Months 2 to 30
  4. LivingLab trials, Research: Months 3 to 20
  5. Pilot and final study, Evaluation: Months 24 to 26, Months 30 to 34
  6. Train carers and families, Ethics and transfer: Months 20 to 22
  7. Ethics, law and society, Ethics and transfer: Months 2 to 34
  8. Share results, Ethics and transfer: Months 2 to 36

The team

The project team at the University of Siegen. New members will be introduced here as they join.

Meet the team
  1. Abstract artwork: four bands in yellow, red, green and blue spring from one point, fan out and turn into waves, from which dots rise like notes.
    News

    MELODIC begins

    Today the three-year research project MELODIC starts at the University of Siegen. This is where we will report on workshops, results and publications.

Partners and funding

Contact

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