May 29, 2007 — A computerized instrument that allows people to play music with the tip of their nose could give those who suffer from physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, the chance to experience music's positive effects.
Not only could the interface allow for musical communication, it could also be adapted for speech, giving physically challenged patients the ability to form full sentences, rather than just providing yes or no responses.
"This instrument will give a voice to those who are all too often ignored, due to their physical disability," said Zane Van Dusen, a recent graduate of computer science and electronic media arts and communications at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
Van Dusen developed the interface with Pauline Oliveros, a musician and distinguished professor of the arts at Rensselaer.
Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder that permanently reduces muscle coordination, As a result, sufferers often feel mentally imprisoned by their inability to speak or move.
Music offers a way to break out of the bonds of a physical disability because it gives patients a means to express themselves. Unfortunately, current music tools are limiting.
Most tools restrict input to a joystick on a wheelchair, which can be expensive to add or modify; they may require wires or cables that impede or even distract a person, and lastly, not all music therapy allows for a broad range of creativity.
Van Dusen's "adaptive-use musical instrument" overcomes these challenges with an inexpensive Web camera and specialized computer software that he wrote.
The patient is placed in front of the computer, where they see live video of their face through a Web camera. Motion-tracking software places a red box on the tip of the person's nose and tracks the user's movement across an onscreen keyboard.
The lowest notes are located to the left and the highest notes are located to the right. The outline of a rectangle around the person's face can be widened or narrowed in order to accommodate the patient's range of motion.
