Students Rock Musical Inventions at E-SONIC

May 21, 2025 - Salt water that sings. Light that oozes notes. Gloves that become musical instruments. These were among the ingenious inventions students showcased at E-SONIC, the Engineering-Symphonic Orchestra New Instrument Competition hosted by the Samueli School of Engineering, Claire Trevor School of the Arts and the Pacific Symphony on Monday.

Students from across UCI schools formed seven teams and created never-before-seen musical instruments. There were participants who major in art, music, physics and political science, but notably, 96% were engineering students. “Problem solving and creativity are integral to what it means to be an engineer. We dream big, and then make it happen, which is in many ways what this event is all about”, said Samueli School of Engineering Dean Magnus Egerstedt.

“I really like E-SONIC cause engineering is often thought of as a cold and calculated field. I’m glad this competition brings out our creative sides,” said second-year mechanical and aerospace engineering student Kevin Xiong who was on the winning DUBS team. Their team dazzled the audience with the Dynamic Ultralight Beam Synth (DUBS) which they describe as “a sonically and aesthetically retrofuturistic instrument.”

DUBS emanates synthesized techno sounds as it harnesses the power of light and lasers. The performer makes music in three ways: pushing the slider that has a LED light, pressing buttons that align with the 12 chromatic intervals, and cranking the carousel which has photosensors that produce notes.

The People’s Choice Winner Sali-Nity is literally a play on salt water. “We’re turning salt to sound,” said second-year biomedical engineering student Emily Manookian. When salt dissolves into water, it splits into positive sodium ions and negative chloride ions. They apply a current to the charged particles that move around and measure the currents to make different pitches - which makes musical salt. “We thought it was really cool that we could make music from the laws of fluid dynamics and ion diffusion since it has never been heard before!” she exclaimed. Their scientific creation exudes dark ambient music fit for a horror movie. 

Another team was inspired by Stevie Wonder and Beethoven, who connected with the world through their legendary music despite being blind and deaf. “What does music mean to you?” mechanical and aerospace engineering student Brandon Vole asked the audience during their presentation for the Lumerin. “To us, music is an integral part of the human experience allowing us to express ourselves and connect with one another.”

Lumerin was inspired by the theremin, an electronic musical instrument that’s controlled without physical contact. Their invention uses light to control the sound, which makes it widely accessible. Music major Rudy Iyer played the Lumerin to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” by using flashlights and the palm of his hands to produce futuristic techno sounds emanating from wells that took the light readings. Meanwhile two LED suspenders lit up on him with changes in pitch and volume.

The glowing vibrating vest was designed for a multisensory experience that everyone, including those with physical challenges, can enjoy. “Music is not just meant to be heard. It’s meant to be felt and seen,” said Iyer. “As a musician, there’s nothing more satisfying than when you’re playing an instrument and it just feels right.”

Another invention – the Glove Band – was mind-blowing as it enables the performer to play the sound of whatever instrument it mimics with hand gestures. “Imagine a world where making music is as simple as moving your hands in the air. No strings. No keys. No boundaries,” computer engineering student Thomas Yeung said. The Glove Band can play the violin, trombone, piano and drums just by gesturing as if you were holding those instruments. In March at the engineering school’s Annual Design Review, it won the Dean’s Choice Award.

Another instrument, an adaptive harp called Strings of Life, helps beginners sound like a pro right away. Their custom MIDI keyboard and servo pluckers enable automated strokes and the ability to play on its own.

Other instruments display a fusion of ideas, such as the Belted Box of Bruces, a motorized acoustic instrument that blends elements of the guitar and the piano. The Extar was named after a combination of "expression + guitar." It’s a one-string guitar with a touchpad that modulates frequency and various effects. “What do we like about our instruments?” asked art major Aejin Yi. “It’s the expression and feeling because complexity comes from the musician, not just the instrument.”

The professors and judges were very impressed. “They went deep - deep into their instruments,” said Kojiro Umezaki, UCI professor of music and highly acclaimed shakuhachi player, who mentored the teams.  “I’ve seen them go from some kind of concept, to discuss what it means to be musical with something like this, to the final product where it’s all polished up and sounds the way they were planning on making it sound. That’s a beautiful thing to see.”

Other mentors included engineering faculty Pim Oomen, Maxim Shcherbakov and Ali Mohraz who also performed along with Samueli School of Engineering Dean Magnus Egerstedt in the faculty band as the opening act. They rocked classics like “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt.2,” after which Professor Mohraz quipped to the students, “We already got our education, you still need to get yours.”

The vibe in the audience that packed Winifred Smith Hall was electric in the evening hosted by by ArtsOC emerging artist of the year Chantrell Lewis. People smiled, clapped and waved their cellphone flashlights to the incredible inventions that enthralled eyes and ears throughout the unforgettable evening at UCI. Claire Trevor Dean of the Arts Tiffany López called the concert "a celebration of creativity and ingenuity."

E-SONIC is in its second year. “This year’s E-SONIC event represented a major leap forward – not just in engineering but in the aesthetic beauty of the designs,” said Pacific Symphony President and CEO John Forsyte. “I couldn’t believe the imagination from these students – truly amazing. We hope to feature the winning design, DUBS, at a future Pacific Symphony event.”

Not only does the Pacific Symphony want to hear more of such music, students like Sali-Nity’s Alex Ikeda want to create more instruments. All UCI students are welcome to join this annual contest and will receive academic credit for their invention.  With winners already signing up, next year’s event promises to be even more exciting and epic. 

- Natalie Tso