Inspired by the documentary Alive Inside, which shows the joy that some patients with dementia experience when listening to their favourite music, Ross Porter wanted to build a music player for his father who could no longer operate a CD player.
People with advanced dementia generally struggle to learn new things, which leaves them unable to operate modern technology, but they still remember many things from when they were younger. The idea behind these simple music players is to emulate the user interface of a 1940s radio, enabling the users to once again be able to listen to their favourite music.
This project has been designed with a lot of care, making it simple to build - It doesn't require any soldering, and a laser cut case can be easily ordered if you don't have access to a laser cutter yourself. This enables pretty much anyone to give the gift of music to their loved ones. Head over to the website to find the files and build guide. You can also find the project on Makers Making Change - A website connecting makers to people with disabilities who need assistive technologies in the US and Canada.
(Via the Adafruit blog)