Est. 2014 · Prototype Series
Wearable · Wireless · Expressive

iNViSiKiT

The Invisible Drum Kit

A revolutionary wearable percussion system conceived by a drummer, for drummers — bringing the full vocabulary of acoustic drumming to any environment, without a kit in sight.

<3ms
Wireless Latency
20
Sensor Inputs
100%
Customisable
10yr
In Development
01 — The Concept

Born from Frustration.
Built for Expression.

After 40 years behind the kit and a decade of teaching, the shortcomings of every "wearable drum" and "MIDI pad" solution became impossible to ignore. Finger drumming pads demand you un-learn everything about being a drummer. They're built for producers, not percussionists.

The iNViSiKiT was conceived to answer a single question: what if the full four-limb vocabulary of acoustic drumming could travel with you, anywhere, invisibly?

Custom wearable pad arrays mount to legs and feet. A custom 2.4GHz wireless protocol delivers sub-3ms latency MIDI messaging. Every parameter on every sensor is editable in real-time. The result is a performance instrument that plays like a real kit — because it was designed by someone who plays a real kit.

Wearable Wireless MIDI FSR Sensors NRF52840 4-Limb Play Custom Protocol

Origin Story

In 2014, the iNViSiKiT was first conceived — and within 24 hours, a rough proof-of-concept was playing MIDI notes from homemade piezo sensors attached to an Arduino. That first prototype video launched ten years of relentless development.

Dozens of custom PCBs have been etched by hand. Countless sensor configurations explored. Notebooks filled with circuit diagrams, parameter tables, and system architectures.

2014
Concept conceived. Piezo + Arduino proof-of-concept tested within 24 hours.
2015
First formal design docs. iNViSiKiT v1.0 parameter system defined.
2016
Arduino Pro Mini / Pro Micro prototypes. NRF24L01+ wireless integration. 4051 MUX sensor matrix.
2018
Full firmware v1.0 code archive. ProMicro + ST7735 TFT display. Conductive butynol rubber pad fabrication.
2024–
NRF52840 platform. Custom wireless protocol. GUI redesign. Pre-production specification.

Every Alternative
Falls Short.

The market is littered with solutions that attempt to solve wearable/portable drumming — but none are built by drummers, for drummers. Here's why iNViSiKiT stands alone:

Product 4-Limb Play Wearable Real Velocity Wireless Custom Params Works Any MIDI Natural Feel
iNViSiKiT
Akai MPC / Finger Pads
Drum Pants
Aero Drum
Roland / Alesis E-Kit
Keith McMillen QuNeo
🥁

Four-Limb Performance

The only wearable that mirrors real drumming — 8 pads per leg, 2 pedals per foot, user-assignable buttons. Play fills, grooves, and kicks exactly as you would behind a real kit.

Ultra-Low Latency

Custom 2.4GHz wireless protocol achieves sub-3ms MIDI messaging — imperceptible to human performance. Not Bluetooth. Not Wi-Fi. A bespoke protocol built for this purpose.

🎛️

Per-Pad Customisation

Every sensor has its own Threshold, Ceiling, Zero Offset, Scans, Mask, MIDI Note, Velocity Curve, Min/Max range, and Gain settings. Dial every pad for your personal dynamic.

🔌

Universal MIDI Compatibility

Class-compliant MIDI over USB and wireless. Works with any DAW, drum module, or MIDI device — no proprietary software or subscriptions required.

🧱

Custom FSR Sensors

Hand-fabricated force-sensitive pads from conductive butynol rubber — not off-the-shelf components. Engineered for natural drum-stick response and durability.

👻

Truly Invisible

Wears under or over clothing. No camera setup required (vs Aero Drum). No awkward finger positioning (vs pad controllers). Just play.

03 — Technical Specification

Pre-Production
Specification

Core Platform

Main MCU Nordic Semi nRF52840
ARM Cortex-M4 @ 64 MHz
Radio 2.4 GHz Custom Tx/Rx Protocol
<3ms End-to-End Latency
Development Arduino Framework
Adafruit nRF52 BSP
NFC Pins P0.09 / P0.10 (NFC1/NFC2)
ADC Resolution 12-bit
LF Clock 32kHz External Crystal (LFXO)

Sensor System

Pad Count 16 full-size pads
8 per leg array
Pedal Sensors 4 total (2 per foot)
Hi-Hat + Kick per side
Buttons User-assignable ×10 (5 per leg)
Sensor Type FSR — Conductive Butynol Rubber
1mm thick, custom fabricated
Pad Readout 2×4 Matrix (4 drive rows,
2 read columns per 8-pad array)
Actuator Material MoldStar 20T Silicone
20A Shore Hardness

Interfaces

MIDI Output USB MIDI (class-compliant)
+ 2.4GHz Wireless MIDI
SPI Bus 1 SCK P0.17 / MISO P0.20
MOSI P0.22 / CS P0.24
SPI Bus 2 SCK P1.01 / MISO P1.02
MOSI P1.07
I²C Bus 1 SDA P1.00 / SCL P0.11
I²C Bus 2 SDA P1.13 / SCL P1.15
UART TX P0.06 / RX P0.08

Power & Display

3V3 Rail EXT_VCC on P0.13
(Active HIGH enable)
Battery Read analogReadVDDHDIV5()
(VDDH ÷ 5)
Analog Inputs A0–A2 (P0.02 / P0.29 / P0.31)
LED System WS2812b RGB per pad
FastLED library
Display (legacy) 128×128 TFT SPI (ST7735)
Display (current) GUI via web browser /
dedicated app interface

From Strike to
Sound in <3ms

🖐️
Input
FSR Pad Strike
Butynol Rubber
Force Sensor
📊
Sensor
ADC Read
12-bit
2×4 Matrix Scan
Drive → Read
⚙️
Processing
Trigger
Algorithm
Zero / Thresh /
Scans / Mask
🎯
Mapping
Velocity
Curve
Min/Max/Steps/
Gain / Center
📡
Transmit
NRF52840
TX Module
Custom 2.4GHz
Protocol
📥
Receive
NRF52840
RX Module
<3ms Latency
🎵
Output
MIDI Note
On/Off
USB MIDI /
5-Pin DIN

"The system achieves end-to-end latency under 3 milliseconds — well below the 10ms threshold considered perceptible during live performance. This is achieved not through off-the-shelf Bluetooth or USB polling, but through a bespoke 2.4GHz transmission protocol engineered specifically for the iNViSiKiT's timing requirements."

— Technical Design Notes, iNViSiKiT Development Archive

Total Control.
Every Pad.

Each of the 20 sensor inputs carries its own independent parameter set. Every parameter is accessible in real-time through the GUI — no power-cycling, no preset banks to navigate. Just dial it in, play.

TRIGGER Parameters
ZERO 0–100 Zero offset — calibrates the resting baseline of each pad to eliminate false triggers from ambient pressure or sensor drift.
CEILING 1–100 Maximum signal ceiling — constrains the peak reading, mapping full velocity to a realistic strike force.
THRESHOLD 1–100 Note-On threshold — the minimum signal level required to trigger a MIDI event. Prevents ghost notes.
RELEASE 1–100 Note-Off threshold — the level below which the note is considered released, for controlled sostenuto behaviour.
SCANS 1–100 Peak-scan count — number of ADC readings taken after initial trigger to accurately determine strike velocity maximum.
MASK 1–100 Mask time in cycles — blocks retriggering after a valid hit to prevent double-trigger artefacts from pad resonance.
MIDI / DYNAMICS Parameters
MIDI NOTE 35–81 GM drum map note assignment — independently configurable per pad to map any MIDI drum voice.
MAX VOL 10–127 Maximum MIDI velocity ceiling — sets the loudest output velocity mapped to a full-force strike.
MIN VOL 10–127 Minimum MIDI velocity floor — ghost notes and light taps output at least this velocity value.
STEPS 1–127 Velocity resolution steps — the number of distinct dynamic levels mapped between minimum and maximum output.
CURVE -3 to +3 Velocity curve shape — negative values produce a more sensitive, expressive response; positive values linearise or compress dynamics.
GAIN -4 to +4 Post-curve gain trim — fine-tune output level for individual pads to balance the kit dynamically without mechanical adjustment.

From Bench
to Market

Phase 01
Foundation
Complete
  • Core sensor technology validated
  • Custom wireless protocol operational
  • Firmware parameter engine built
  • GUI interface designed
  • Conductive butynol pad fabrication process established
Complete
Phase 02 — Current
NRF52840
Integration
  • Migrate to NRF52840 platform
  • Custom variant.h / variant.cpp board definition
  • Dual SPI + Dual I²C support
  • Refine <3ms wireless latency
  • GUI — web-based control interface
In Progress
Phase 03
Beta Prototype
Production
  • Finalise pad strap/attachment system
  • Custom PCB design (SMD production run)
  • Injection-moulded silicone pad prototype
  • Enclosure / form-factor design
  • Battery management system
Planned
Phase 04
Beta Tester
Program
  • Recruit 10–20 beta drummers
  • Social media / online drum communities
  • Influencer outreach — YouTube / TikTok
  • Collect performance + reliability data
  • Iterate on feedback
Planned
Phase 05
Kickstarter
Launch
  • Campaign video production
  • Reward tier design
  • Manufacturing partner secured
  • IP / patent filing
  • Press outreach — drumming media
Planned
Phase 06
Production
& Retail
  • Fulfilment of Kickstarter rewards
  • Amazon / Sweetwater / Reverb listings
  • App store companion app
  • Version 2 roadmap
  • Global distribution
Planned

Reaching the
Global Drum Community

📹

Content Creators

  • YouTube drum channels (Drumeo, Drumming Review)
  • TikTok drumming community (#DrumTok)
  • Instagram Reels — visual impact of wearable
  • Collab with known session/touring drummers
🥁

Drum Community

  • Reddit — r/drums, r/WeAreTheMusicMakers
  • Drummerworld forum presence
  • PASIC / PAS drum conventions
  • Drum educators and school programs
🎮

Music Tech

  • NAMM show demo / showcase
  • SonicState, CDM, MusicRadar press
  • ProductHunt launch
  • Audiophile / gear review blogs
💰

Crowdfunding

  • Kickstarter — target drum + music tech audience
  • Indiegogo for global reach
  • Early-bird pricing strategy
  • Stretch goal features (companion app, accessories)
🎓

Education Market

  • Music schools — silent practice solution
  • Apartment/hotel room playing
  • Disability access / adaptive drumming
  • Physical therapy / rhythm programs
🌐

Digital Presence

  • Official website with live demo video
  • Discord community server
  • Newsletter / email waitlist
  • Open-source community elements (firmware)
The Next Step

From Workbench
to the World Stage

Ten years of development, dozens of prototypes, and a concept that has never been done right — iNViSiKiT is ready to be heard. The technology works. The platform is proven. The audience is waiting.

Begin Beta Program Technical Documentation