maxtheremin: November 2006

My Theremin

My Theremin has arrived and as soon as it arrived, I started experiments... :)

Pressure Type

By the slight movement of your arm your hand, theremin produces different sounds. It is because the antenna is adjusted with high precision. So this can be used for producing different visual effects. The pressure and force can be exaggerated. For example with a slow movement of your arm, you can crush a concrete cube or collapse a building.

The direction of maxtheremin

I think my direction will be 3D objects. The photographic manipulation is considered and many problems were searched & solved in Khronos Projector, so in order to create something new, I am thinking of using theremin as a tool for manipulating 3D objects. The pressure will force the object to take new forms. Here is a sketch of what it may look like:

A Creative Project: The Khronos Projector

A simple and powerful project from The University of Tokyo, Japan. Click here for more information about Khronos Projector.

The Video Theremin

An interesting "investment" and project made in 1995. There is no theremin, but a video camera tracks your hand and an Amiga processes data. It is interesting that the web link is still active. You can still see the prices of Amiga systems & etc. More information here:

Maxtheremin Software & Hardware

• Max MSP for analyzing sound

• A theremin and an amplifier

• A pair of stereo speakers

• A laptop computer for processing

• A web cam and a projector according to the project

Maxtheremin Possibilities & Proposals

After considering many directions of where the project can go, I eliminated most of them and here is what I have as topics in my mind:

1) A photo manipulation tool which the user “liquifies” his-her self via theremin.

2) A photo directory search tool which the user searches photographs with one hand and zooms with the other.

3) A real-time video manipulation tool which user puts an “energy field” to the video in order to distort/manipulate motion.

4) A visualizer that creates shapes/particles/motion to the sound being produced.

5) A Virtual Reality Tour in a 3D environment which the user adjusts parameters by his/her hands.

6) A 3D object manipulation tool which you can apply pressure to the object.

A new approach to "Playing" from Nintendo

I think the new Nintendo Wii is a very special product. With motion sensors placed around your TV, you can play as if you are in real life. For example, you can catch a fish as if you are using a fishing line in real life. What makes this gadget special is the interaction. With a cable-free connection to the game console you can play and interact with Wii.

Non-touching product examples

We, as human beings, try interact with an object or software by haptic perception intuitively. But should interaction always be haptic?

There are some non-touch interactions in the world such as eye-tracking systems for disabled people, musical instruments like theremin, entertainment systems like Nintendo Wii, hygenic products like Tissue Dispenser and automatic flushes and some lighting systems working according to the point where you stand. Most common products are hygenic products in daily life.

A related topic: "Haptic Perception"

A close field of search about my project is Haptic Perception. Here is a short definition:

"The sensibility of the individual to the world adjacent to his body by use of his body". The haptic perceptual system is unusual in that it can include the sensory receptors from the whole body and is closely linked to the movement of the body so can have a direct effect on the world being perceived. The concept of haptic perception is closely allied to the concept of active touch that realises that more information is gathered when a motor plan (movement) is associated with the sensory system.

Why maxtheremin?

Because I am thinking of using theremin at a maximum level and besides being a musical instrument, it will help creating visuals.

A beautiful performance:

A beautiful performance by a talented player:

Leon Theremin teaches how to play:

Here, Leon Theremin himself, the inventor of this instrument teaches how to play theremin.

An old performance:

An old theremin performance by Samuel Hoffman:

What does it sound like?

This video shows how the instrument is played:

What does it look like?

Well, it looks like this:

So, what is a theremin?

Here is a short definition:

The theremin or thereminvox (originally pronounced [teremiːn] but often anglicized as [ˈθɛɹəmɪn]) is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. The instrument was invented by Russian Léon Theremin. The theremin is unusual in that it requires no physical contact in order to produce music and was, in fact, the first musical instrument designed to be played without being touched. The instrument consists of an array of circuitry including two antennas around which the user moves his or her hands to play.

START

Here I go!

This blog is for my final project in Istanbul Technical University, Information Technologies in Design Masters Program. I will post as I progress with my project. So what is my project? My project is about "theremin". I am thinking of re-commenting the functionality of theremin as an interactive device at the same time being a musical instrument.