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The shirt has in-built sensors on the elbows which track arms picking imaginary chords and strumming the air, said Richard Helmer of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

The information is then sent by wireless technology to a computer which generates the music.

"It's an easy-to-use, virtual instrument that allows real-time music making — even by players without significant musical or computing skills," Helmer said.

"It allows you to jump around and the sound generated is just like an original mp3."

There is a serious side to the "wearable instrument shirt" — which can also play tambourine — Helmer said.

Researchers are now developing applications for the health and sporting sectors, such as physiotherapy devices which track postures and exercises.

"What we're trying to do is take the human form with our sensors...And reproduce yourself in their virtual world, or the computer world, Internet world, the imaginary world.

"Because what that allows us to do is then to represent yourself there so that you can get feedback on what you're doing, and you can also be shown to improve your technique.