The Hyperbow: A Precision Violin Interface

This paper addresses the need to utilize precision measurement techniques in the the creation of new performance instruments and interfaces. Discussed within is the design and construction of a new violin interface, the Hyperbow, which serves as a £rst demonstration of how a violin bow might be made capable of measuring the most intricate aspects of violin technique–the subtle elements of physical gesture that immediately and directly impact the sound of the instrument while playing. In order to provide this insight into the subtleties of bow articulation, a sensing system has been integrated into a commercial carbon £ber bow to measure changes in position, acceleration, and the downward and lateral strains on the bow stick. These sensors were fashioned using an electromagnetic £eld sensing technique, commercial MEMS accelerometers, and foil strain gauges. The measurement techniques used in this work were found to be quite sensitive and yielded sensors that were easily controllable by a player using traditional right hand bowing technique.