SPOKE

SPOKE uses an RP2040 chip to make a very simple but powerful usb-midi interface device which is 100% customisable using open source code. It has 27 touch sensors which can be expanded with wires/copper tape to build interactive installations, or embedded for bespoke touch-based devices.

Compared to previous methods and boards that worked with capacitive touch, this board is easier to use, has more inputs available, is completely customisable and is more affordable. Often in the past you would need multiple chips, one to handle the code, one to handle the sensing, etc. This boar runs everything from the single chip.

What’s most powerful is how SPOKE invites experimentation. One user built a playable fruit orchestra with schoolchildren. Another embedded SPOKE into a textile interface for an inclusive music therapy session. In each case, SPOKE wasn’t just a controller—it was a catalyst for imagination, accessibility, and hands-on learning.

Its greatest inspiration lies in this simplicity: it just works—so ideas can flow freely. It’s not just a great tool for education and workshops, but for prototyping more advanced interfaces for accessibility or installations.