Dennis P Paul created this unorthodox instrument, which he titled An Instrument for the Sonification of Everyday Things. On a basic level, any random object can be held in place by a clamp which rotates it while a laser reads its contours. Those contours are turned into sound frequencies that he can in turn make into loops.

This is a serious musical instrument… [S]ilhouettes define loops, melodies and rhythms. Thus mundane things are reinterpreted as musical notation… A custom programmed translator and controller module, written in processing, transforms the measured distance values into audible frequencies, notes, and scales. It also precisely controls the stepper-motor’s speed to sync with other instruments and musicians.

Truly an instrument for the modern age, and it’s probably cheaper to have tuned and repaired than the usual symphonic instruments.

- via Trendhunter