Spider King: Virtual musical instruments based on microsoft Kinect

Abstract

Human Computer Interaction is becoming a major component in computer science related fields allowing humans to communicate with machines in very simple ways exploring new dimensions of research. Kinect, the 3D sensing device introduced by Microsoft mainly aiming computer games domain now is used in different scopes, one is being generation or controlling of sound signals producing aesthetic music. Here, in this paper, authors' experimental efforts on three virtual music instruments: Drum, Guitar and Spider King, based on Kinect sensor are presented. All three instruments virtually set the relevant sensing input areas, as an example, strings of the guitar or cymbals of the drum, then, the player controls the instrument through those virtual inputs through the Kinect. Sound control data is then generated and fed to the audio library based on the musically oriented human computer interaction gestures, composing a realtime musical expressive performance. A live performance using the presented virtual instruments was carried out at the end.