Beyond the Keyboard and Sequencer

Strategies for Interaction between Parametrically-­Dense Motion Sensing Devices and Robotic Musical Instruments

Abstract

The proliferation and ubiquity of sensor, actuator and microcontroller technology in recent years have propelled contemporary robotic musical instruments (RMIs) and digital music controllers to become more parametrically dense than their predecessors. Prior projects have focused on creating interaction strategies for relatively low degrees-of-freedom input and output schemes. Drawing upon prior research, this paper explores schemes for interaction between parametrically-dense motion-based control devices and contemporary parametrically-dense robotic musical instruments. The details of two interaction schemes are presented: those consisting of one-to-one control (allowing the actions of a performer to directly affect an instrument) and those consisting of a recognition system wherein user-created gestures result in output patterns from the robotic musical instrument. The implementation of the interaction schemes is described, and a performance utilizing these schemes is presented.