HSP: A Simple and Effective Open-Source Platform for Implementing Haptic Musical Instruments

When we asked a colleague of ours why people do not make more haptic musical instruments, he replied that he thought they were “too hard to program and too expensive.” We decided to solve these perceived problems by introducing HSP, a simple platform for implementing haptic musical instruments. HSP obviates the need for employing low-level embedded control software because the haptic device is controlled directly from within the Pure Data (Pd) software running on a general purpose computer. Positions can be read from the haptic device, and forces can be written to the device using messages in Pd. Various additional objects have been created to facilitate rapid prototyping of useful haptic musical instruments in Pd. HSP operates under Linux, OS X, and Windows and supports the mass-produced Falcon haptic device from NovInt, which can currently be obtained for as little as US$150. All of the above make HSP an especially excellent choice for pedagogical environments where multiple workstations are required and example programs should be complete yet simple.