A computing and music researcher at Stanford University has created a new way to scratch digital files using a traditional turntable, without the need for timecode encoded vinyl. Instead, Nicholas J. Bryan’s Mopho DJ uses the accelerometer and gyroscope inside a couple of iPhones, or iPod Touches to be exact, to detect and wirelessly transmit the movements of the turntable to an accompanying piece of software running on a MacBook. And like other laptop-based solutions, the software is then responsible for playing back the audio file faster, slower or even scratched.

From the looks of the video included below the setup seems to have minimal latency, though it’s hard to tell without actually playing with it myself. And while the iPod Touches he’s using are sitting atop a clear plastic disc with a rubber pad to keep them in place while the wheels of steel are spinning, I’d be inclined to find a more reliable way to strap them down securely when the party really gets started.

This isn't the first multi-touch DJing we've seen, but something about watching this guy navigate his transparent control station—a homebrew touchscreen running a Traktor Pro controller called Emulator—really makes me want to do the robot.