Greg Schiemer

Oculog: playing with eye movements

In this paper, we describe the musical development of a new system for performing electronic music where a video-based eye movement recording system, known as Oculog, is used to control sound. Its development is discussed against a background that includes a brief history of biologically based interfaces for performing music, together with a survey of various recording systems currently in use for monitoring eye movement in clinical applications. Oculog is discussed with specific reference to its implementation as a performance interface for electronic music. A new work features algorithms driven by eye movement response and allows the user to interact with audio synthesis and introduces new possibilities for microtonal performance. Discussion reflects an earlier technological paradigm and concludes by reviewing possibilities for future development.

The Carillon and Its Haptic Signature: Modeling the Changing Force-Feedback Constraints of a Musical Instrument for Haptic Display

The carillon is one of the few instruments that elicits sophisticated haptic interaction from amateur and professional players alike. Like the piano keyboard, the velocity of a players impact on each carillon key, or baton, affects the quality of the resultant tone; unlike the piano, each carillon baton returns a different force-feedback. Force-feedback varies widely from one baton to the next across the entire range of the instrument and with further idiosyncratic variation from one instrument to another. This makes the carillon an ideal candidate for haptic simulation. The application of synthesized force-feedback based on an analysis of forces operating in a typical carillon mechanism offers a blueprint for the design of an electronic practice clavier and with it the solution to a problem that has vexed carillonists for centuries, namely the inability to rehearse repertoire in private. This paper will focus on design and implementation of a haptic carillon clavier derived from an analysis of the Australian National Carillon in Canberra.

Haptic Carillon: A Computationally Enhanced Mechanical Performing Instrument

This paper describes the development of a haptic device for emulating the sonic and haptic dynamics of a carillon, specifically the National Carillon in Canberra, Australia. The carillon is one of only a few instruments that elicit a sophisticated haptic response from the amateur and professional player alike. Force-feedback varies widely across the range of the instrument and developing an intuition for the heaviness of different bells is a critical part of carillon pedagogy. Unfortunately, rehearsal time available to individual carillonneurs is limited by competition from other carillonneurs and environmental factors like civic noise limits and carillon maintenance schedules. Rehearsal instruments do exist but they do not accurately display the haptic dynamics of the real carillon. Our device couples the notions of entertainment and cultural computing; while musical instruments are now regularly digitised for purposes of entertainment the haptic carillon is motivated by an awareness of the musicianship of carillonneurs and the public cultural space they inhabit with their instrument.