A UK team has developed a musical
suit that allows users to create and manipulate sounds through the movement of
their bodies. The suit was developed by a team of electronic, software and
sound engineers, together with a fashion designer and artist, from Bristol University,
the University of the West of England (UWE) and Queen Mary, University of London.
The suit uses sensors known as inertial measurement units (IMUs), which combine
a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer and are conventionally used to
manoeuvre aircraft and spacecraft, to map the exact position, orientation,
movement and speed of the wearer’s body parts in a similar way to
motion-capture animation technology.
Microphones on the wrists capture sounds that
can then be manipulated with different movements that correspond to different
production effects or additional sounds in the software’s toolbox, as well as
the volume and stereo position of each sound. Sensor signals run through a
central processor on the user’s back that is connected wirelessly to a nearby
computer, running several pieces of music production software to convert the movements
into sounds in real time. As well as extending the system, the team also
replaced the original off-the-shelf gloves with custom-designed components, a
more stable and efficient software system and more durable fabric.
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