Expressive Gesture Controller for an Individual with Quadriplegia

We present a strategy for mapping and parameterizing expressive gesture for music control with an infrared headmounted controller. The system allows performers to rely on movement that they find natural despite no prior experience with expressive music performance. It additionally empowers users to identify and contextualize their control parameterization within the key events of a single composition. This highly specialized design strategy is discussed as it relates to our new work in adaptive systems that tailor to the movement and novel contexts provided by ubiquitous users. The technology is piloted with a user with severe motor impairment as a result of quadriplegia. Implications for the field of gesture control and pervasive systems that integrate expressive input are discussed.