The Halléoojamaflipaphone

Open your eyes and senses to a tongue-twisting collaboration of engineering and music.

The collaboration with the Hallé gave our researchers and apprentices the opportunity to apply their knowledge and expertise to a project which is delivering real social impact.

Peter Green / Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Manchester

This may not be the usual partnership that you might expect the Hallé to get involved with but it’s been amazingly enlightening. It has helped us think creatively in a different way and I can only think the main beneficiaries of that will be the children of the future who we work with.

Steve Pickett / Education Director, The Hallé

Following a chance meeting on a train, Peter Green from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester embarked on a collaboration with Steve Pickett, Education Director at The Hallé to create an amazing musical instrument that combined creative engineering and social responsibility.

The project team quickly identified supporting partners including National Instruments, Maxon Motor and the Science and Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH) within the University. The project was pitched to the University Knowledge Exchange Team, resulting in funding via the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Outreach Fund and leveraged support from project partners.

Following the award of funding, Dr Hassan Hakim Khalili was recruited as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate to oversee the technical development, supervising a team of University apprentices to produce a wondrous instrument capable of engaging any community group that The Hallé work with, from early years to dementia patients.