KDDI's au design project creates cellphones that double as instruments

KDDI's au design project has churned out plenty of interesting cellphone concepts over the years, and it looks like its latest batch is no exception, with it enlisting the help of Yamaha to develop some cellphones that double as musical instruments. That includes the self-explanatory "Strings for fingers" and "Sticks in the air" concepts pictured above, as well as the "Box to play" synth / scratch pad combo, the "Key to touch" foldable keyboard, the "Trio in your hand" scratch pad / sampler, and the "Band in my pocket" device, which accommodates a number of accessories to create instruments ranging from a harmonica to a trumpet. What's more, unlike some concept devices, KDDI actually had some working prototypes to show off, which you can check out in action in the video after the break (be sure to dig into the links below for some more pics and videos as well).

[Via textually.org, Trends in Japan]

[Aguiluz @ Aug 19th 2008 1:47PM]

Now if I knew how to play any instrument....

[computer.dude.28 @ Aug 19th 2008 1:49PM]

I've always wanted a pocket trumpet I could randomly take out and bust out on..

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 1:51PM]

is that a band in your pocket?

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 1:53PM]

because I have a Key to touch and Strings for fingers. and my Sticks in the air

[J-Rad @ Aug 19th 2008 8:50PM]

This guy takes the cake, hands down!

637 points for you!

[TareX @ Aug 19th 2008 1:58PM]

Completely irrelevant, but I would love the HTC Dream to look like that (with the qwerty instead of the strings)... so elegant, yet also related to their leaked prototype(s) designs.

[getStringFromObj() @ Aug 19th 2008 1:59PM]

Perfect, just what I have always hoped they invented for that wannabe drummer I invariably sit next to on a plane, now he has a "band in his pocket" and can wave his cell phone around. In contrast, the best person to sit next to on a plane is an asian women, they take up very little space and never talk.

queue the "hey baby, wanna meet the band in my pocket" jokes....

[Homeboy @ Aug 19th 2008 2:20PM]

Now bring on the cello cellhone.

[eleefece @ Aug 19th 2008 4:01PM]

i want a traingle-phone

[Jonathan Ziemer @ Aug 19th 2008 4:42PM]

i've got one band in my pocket, and the other one is holding a piece sign

[Andrew Scala @ Aug 19th 2008 4:46PM]

This is almost as painful as watching the wii music demo.

[efm-7 @ Aug 19th 2008 8:33PM]

looks like a Stylo(cell)phone