Bubble Drumagoging

This demo features the bubble drum kit, a set of percussion instruments made out of exercise balls.  Using Apple's Logic Pro with Wavemachine Labs' Drumagog plug-in, a blend of both acoustic and synthesized audio is produced from the combined input from microphone, accelerometer, and camera sources.

Syncopated Surfing Ring

The syncopated surfing ring is a new experimental platform for exploring interactive music visualization and prototyping rhythm and balance based exergames.  The intention is to develop variations on the drum circle theme, with an essential difference being the inclusion of movement that engages the core muscles and, due to the increased sensory motor stimulation and communication between left and right hemispheres of the brain, promotes neuroplasticity.

Players will create and perform patterns that are expressed as wave-like movements on surfboards^* accentuated by the sounds made from various percussion instruments, such as the maracas, shakere, cowbell, claves, tambourine, and bubble drum (such as the "sun drum" shown here, which allows surfers to beat on it, rather than the other way around.)

iPod touches are used to capture accelerometer data that can be analyzed to display relationships between the motions of the riders and acoustic waves generated by various sources, including live or recorded music.

^*Note that the "surfboards" used can be any type of balance board, such as the IndoBoard, or as pictured above, simply a bamboo surfboard-shaped cutting board atop a BOSU.

The video below shows how a loop-based percussion pattern can be played by all the members of a syncopated surfing ring. The pattern comes from the Native Instruments Discovery Series West Africa.

Bubble Drum Project

As exhibited most vividly by the group from the Clem Burke Drumming Project during a presentation at the 2010 Games For Health Conference drumming can give the player a highly intensive form of exercise.

The Bubble Drum Project was conceived to explore and experiment with an alternative "drum kit" that has been specifically designed to give a vigorous physical workout and develop prototype rhythm games that engage the player with challenging cognitive stimulation and also provide an instrument/interface to facilitate deeper musical expression that emphasizes dynamics, accents, creating polyrhythmic patterns and steady timekeeping.

One of the obvious problems with real drum kits is that they are loud. While this is fine for concert venues and club settings, they are otherwise quite impractical for playing in most spaces without disturbing others (not to mention the necessity for drummers to wear ear plugs to protect hearing.)

Alternatively, various electronic pads can be used in place of actual drums and cymbals, which then also allow the drum kit to become an input device so that individual strokes can be recorded and used as a controller for games (e.g. Activision's Guitar Hero and Harmonix's Rock Band). However, there are several factors that limit the degree to which playing these imitation drum kits can provide rigorous exercise and cognitive stimulation. For example, typically there is limited or no sensitivity to dynamic levels or accents to make the playing truly reflect musical expression. The pads themselves cannot absorb the shock of stick hits like real drum heads, so there is a lack of "feel" not to mention the possibility of wrist strain or more serious injury. Another drawback of playing typical rhythm games that utilize these pads is that a player cannot be particularly creative since the choice of notes (as well as the available selection of songs) are completely dictated by the video game companies.

The concept of using fitness balls as drums, combined with rhythmic aerobic movements, has become somewhat popular through a franchise known as Drums Alive®. Extending this approach, these fairly inexpensive and rugged exercise balls can actually become functional electronic drum pads. A surprisingly expressive musical instrument can be fashioned that can be played in such a way that it provides a good workout. Using captured accelerometer and microphone input data, it is possible to build interesting rhythm games that can accurately measure the player's timing, dynamics, endurance, pattern matching and creative rhythm making abilities. Both aural and visual feedback can be generated to give the player the feeling of musical and artistic expression while at the same time providing a good physical workout and cognitive stimulation.

At the upcoming Games For Health 2011 Conference I will be showing several innovative rhythm games that have been developed as prototypes to demonstrate the use of exercise balls that can function as drum pad controllers through the use of attached iPod touch devices, Wiimotes, and microphones.

impulsive INDO board

Here's a demo showing impulsive pillow pilates done on an INDO board with a BOSU balance trainer underneath it:    impulsive IN DO BO SUrfing

version 1.1 just released

The first update to impulsive pillow pilates LE is now available through the iTunes store. It is still free.

In this version there are now three levels of play available. Seeking to keep the user interface clear from clutter, the buttons to change levels are simply the white arrow and the black arrow.

Tapping the white arrow switches circularly in one direction (level 0 -> level 1 -> level 2 -> level 0) whereas tapping the black arrow switches circularly in the other direction (level 0 <- level 1 <- level 2 <- level 0).

What's implusive pillow pilates?

impulsive pillow pilates is an experimental rhythm game to improve your balance and dexterity as you listen to your own music selections.

It requires that you have an impulsive pillow, which is an exercise ball to which an iPhone or iPod Touch has been securely fastened. Velcro usually functions well in this capacity.

The objective is to make the impulsive pillow sound like a shekere by scoring goals with rhythmic accuracy combined with your own imaginative style of movement.

Goals are scored by rolling the ball onto a currently lit arrow, thereby producing a pulse of light and sound upon contact.

Good timing and coordination will generate a steady groove that makes exercising fun yet endlessly challenging.

Add variety to your workout by using it with an Indo Board, a BOSU Balance Trainer, a wobble board, or any other core stability exercise equipment. Just be sure to watch your step, and of course, consult a physician if you have any doubt regarding your ability to exert yourself and have fun while performing gyrations.

Imagine playing hacky sack with an overstuffed DDR mat that you nudge towards, instead of kick way from, the earth.

Get together with friends and organize a "pillow polygon" formation, kind of like a drum circle.

Not recommended for use while surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, kayaking, cycling, hang-gliding or awaiting rescue onboard a life raft.

levels (LE version 1.1)

• level 0 - Each turn provides a choice of four lit arrows at which to aim, thus providing the potential for faster and peak freestyle footwork. It can also be played without having to look down, since a player simply has to alternate between any choice from the set {red, green, blue, white} followed by any choice from the set {cyan, magenta, yellow, black}
• level 1 - Each turn provides a choice of three lit arrows at which to aim. Just like level 0, it can also be played "blindfolded" once the player recognizes the underlying pattern of choices that are being generated.
• level 2 - Each turn provides a choice of two lit arrows at which to aim, thus greater accuracy is necessary to score each goal.

The iPod touch is attached to this wobble board using a little velcro patch.

Note the headphone extension cable that provides ample length to run from foot to head.

Here's a brief video demonstrating the newly emerging sport of BOSUrfing

Here is a pattern dreamt while sleep(walk)ing upon an impulsive pillow:

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