Kinesonic Approaches to Mapping Movement

Source

MOCO ’15, August 14 – 15, 2015, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCopyright is held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM.

Summary

This project introduces RAKS system (Remote electroAcuoustic Kinesthetic Sensing) that has been played through a belly dancer.

Sensor technologies translate the internal experiences to external, which means this system will be integrating movements from the dancer (kinetic) and sonic elements together by a wearable wireless sensor that is specifically designed for belly dance movement. In this project, LilyPad Aruduino, ADXL345Accelrerometer, Flex Sensor, and LED Rings are used. The Mapping Strategies are modeled on the relationship between playing techniques and acoustic instruments.

Translations of major movements from the dancer to the instruments:

1. Contraction and Release: Bow Pressure
2. Curving and Straightening: Modulating Waveshape
3. Accelerating and Decelerating: Pulses to Pitch
4. Movement and Stillness: Oscillators

 

Like it says, the electro music is played only depending on the movement of the bally dancer. Instead of composing electro music / sound on computer, the dancer makes each movements throughout her torso, chest, hip in order to create the sound of its own. While listening to the music, we can see how each movement of the dancer affects different sound and speed. Normally in a stage or dance performance, dancers create the movement throughout how the music is played. But in this project, we can see how dancers and music become one and integrated as a one piece at the same time.

 

Relevance

The fact that the article deals with the dance movement and its interaction between sensors on the body to the audio system, we can relevant this project to our own and have it as an inspiration in case one of our teams wants to work on RAKS system.