A method for controlling aspects of an artistic performance with a motion capture system includes modeling movements of a performer with a biomechanical skeleton, selecting parent and child segments on the biomechanical skeleton, positioning motion capture sensors on a motion capture subject at positions corresponding to the parent and child segments, selecting actions associated with movements of the child segment according to positions of the parent segment within at least two predefined spatial zones, executing actions in a first action group for the child segment when the parent segment is in a first spatial zone, and executing actions in a second action group for the child segment when the parent segment is in a second spatial zone.

A hand-held controller (100) for a computer is disclosed. The controller is substantially U-shaped and has front and IN rear sections (110, 130) spaced apart by a link section (140). The controller fits onto the user's hand in use so that the rear section (130) lies over the back of the hand and the front section (110) lies in the palm of the hand. The front section includes a user interface, such as a keypad, touchpad or touch area (120), to receive inputs from the user's fingers. The controller may also include a gyroscope and an accelerometer to determine the orientation and movement of the controller. The controller further comprises a transmitter for transmitting data relating to the user inputs to the computer, the data causing the computer system to carry out one or more pre-assigned actions. The pre-assigned action may comprise playing or altering an audio sound, or changing the key, pitch, tone, sound quality or volume of the audio sound. A control system for a computer comprising two hand-held controllers is also disclosed. The hand-held controllers may be the same, or one may be configured to receive only orientation and movement user inputs. A computer system comprising two hand-held controllers and a computer is also disclosed. In preferred embodiments, the computer system is a musical instrument emulator.

Apparatus for an electronic percussion system is provided, comprising: a plurality of sensors (12, 14, 16, 18); attaching means (10) for attaching the sensors to the hand and locating the sensors each at a respective predetermined location thereon, wherein each of the sensors is configured to send information for receipt by a determining means in response to impact of the sensor on a contact surface, wherein the attaching means and the sensors are together configured so that such information enables the determining means to distinguish each of the gestures from each other of the gestures. Each predetermined gesture is mapped to a respective sample, and performing of the gesture causes playing of the respective sample. The gestures may include a finger clicking action, a chest slap and a hand clap. There is also provided a related method of determining a percussion gesture.

Finger-tracking systems and methods for virtual instruments playback. The described system tracks the position of user's ten fingers on a projection surface and can be used to play virtual instruments such as virtual piano, drums, and bells. The system tracks the movement of user's ten fingers while keeping them free of encumbrance or excessive postural constraints. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, a coded light based projector is used to send out location signal onto a flat surface, and ten light sensors are mounted on user's fingers to receive these signals and locate user's fingers. Based on their locations and relative distance to a fixed point, a printed music instrument can be used for virtual instrument music playback. With the described tracking system, various embodiments of virtual music instruments may be implemented, including a system and method for virtual piano playing as well as virtual Chinese bell playing on printed keyboard and printed Chinese bell set.

The invention relates to a device for producing musical data, which includes a glove equipped with touch sensors and a terminal device. In the glove there are touch sensors in at least two rows the format of a selected musical scale, which touch sensors are arranged to be pushed with a finger of the other hand, connection means for connecting the touch sensors to a selected terminal device in order to produce musical data according to the format. The touch sensors are arranged in such a way that in an order from the index finger to the little finger, the tips of the fingers correspond to the consecutive notes of a first octave C, D, E, F, so that the semitone E-F is located between the ring finger and the little finger.

Enhanced stringed instrument learning is provided by a wearable device. A control unit comprising a processor and a memory device is integrated with a frame, of the wearable device, formed to fit over a hand of a user while playing a stringed instrument. A finger assembly is provided each finger of the hand and is coupled to the frame to immobilize a finger of the hand while playing the stringed instrument. A sensor array is coupled to each finger assembly and to the control unit to determine at least a positioning of fingers on the stringed instrument. The sensor also sends user performance data to the control unit. The control unit analyzes the user performance data and outputs feedback to the user based on the performance data analysis.

A tactile music learning apparatus converts sound data of a user's voice corresponding to original music into first tactile data including tactile information, generates a synchronized tactile pattern by synchronizing the first tactile data with second tactile data including tactile information corresponding to sound data of the original music, and transfers the synchronized tactile pattern to a tactile reproducing apparatus to allow the tactile reproducing apparatus to reproduce the synchronized tactile pattern.

A processor connected to one or more displays shaped to affix to a fingernail for displaying an image.

A cake decoration that enables visual shows controlled by a controller that is either remote to the decoration or integral with the decoration and interacts with a finger controller.

A system for dynamic movement scoring comprising an article of footwear or apparel and a processor in networked wireless communication with the article of footwear or apparel. The article includes at least one accelerometer or inertial measurement unit operative to monitor spatial motion of at least a portion of the article of footwear or apparel, and to generate a data stream indicative of the monitored spatial motion. The processor is configured to receive the data stream from the article of footwear or apparel, identify at least one motion primitive from the received data stream; and determine an accuracy metric representing a correspondence between the monitored spatial motion of the article of footwear or apparel and the ordered number of motion primitives.