Body as instrument : an exploration of gestural interface design
Mary Mainsbridge · UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) · 2016
Building on a growing body of gestural interface design and humancomputer interaction (HCI) literature, this research offers practice-based insights that acknowledge the changing face of musicianship in response to interaction with gestural sensing technologies.To encourage enhanced physical aptitude and more nuanced movement control amongst musicians, I have applied embodied interaction design and dance-based perspectives to musical contexts, developing a multimodal environment that provides a range of design strategies for musicians to explore relationships between sound and movement while developing an awareness of their own movement potential.have identified and assessed key design strategies aimed at promoting the movement skills and awareness needed to achieve the level of nuance musicians require from movement-based performance. Motivations for this ResearchIn an area in which individual expression and nuance are paramount, gestural interfaces provide opportunities for more detailed manipulation of sound and stronger communication with audiences.Existing gestural controller technologies also give vocalists opportunities to expand their inherent vocal capacity through movement-based control over processes ranging from digital signal processing to sound synthesis, by tapping into the body as a natural instrument.This potential first drew me to this field in 2008, when I began experimenting with gestural control of the voice and digital audio software during a residency at the Underbelly Arts Festival 1 in 2008.A tactile mixing surface (TMS) and vocal effects application controlled by spatial movements were developed using ReacTIVision 2 software.This experience led me to reflect on areas for development in gestural interface design for musical performance, particularly in relation to the subtlety and aesthetic possibilities of these types of gesture-based systems.