If Hands Could Sing

If Hands Could Sing

School of Music | Faculty of Arts
Share Story Related Content Add to my report

While many people talk with their hands, so to speak, a team of UBC professors has now made it possible to talk—or rather, sing—through a pair of gloves.

Developed by a team led by Sidney Fels, in the department of electrical and computer engineering and Robert Pritchard, a researcher at the UBC Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS) and the UBC Media and Graphics Interdisciplinary Centre (MAGIC), the technology, called a digital ventriloquist actor (DIVA), produces a singing voice when manually activated by a hand moving within electrically wired gloves. The motion-sensing gloves create a frequency based on their position; the right hand controls vowels (an open hand), and consonants (a closed hand), while the height of the hand determines the pitch. Meanwhile, the left hand controls stop consonants like Bs and Ds.

“From a compositional perspective, what I’m interested in is expanding the tools available to provide an emotional experience in the concert hall,” says Pritchard, in an interview with Gizmodo. “We’re able to give one person two voices. So they can do a duet with themselves.”

Future uses for the device could involve giving people with speech impairments the ability to speak without sign language or an interpreter.

 

Related Content

Sidney Fels (left) and Bob Pritchard (center) testing the DIVA Harness Credit: Johnty Wang

“We’re able to give one person two voices. So they can do a duet with themselves.” – Robert Pritchard, UBC Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS) and UBC Media and Graphics Interdisciplinary Centre

Associated Commitment

Research Excellence

Associated Campus

Vancouver Campus

Twitter

Professor John Roeder retires after 38 years at the UBC School of Music. We caught up with him to collect his thoug… https://t.co/BXioyYMwbs
about 5 hours ago.
RT @Muzewest: This Sunday, you can hear the fantastic Fedorova & Takser Piano Duo at the @UBC_Music. The concert begins at 3 PM. Daria and…
2 days ago.
RT @UBCstudentlife: Want to be the next face of @UBC? 👀 Apply now: https://t.co/2xjXiPnDSM https://t.co/d5iCgAxYNw
4 days ago.
It was a beautiful tribute to Jocelyn ❤️ https://t.co/ez7jXWdfLU
4 days ago.
RT @UBCGradSchool: Are you an Indigenous graduate student at #UBC? Apply for our upcoming inclusive and immersive summer institute (Aug13-1…
4 days ago.
RT @UBC_Arts: 🎓🌟 Ready to tackle your post-university world? 💼💡 Get insights and practical advice on work, money, and life after graduation…
4 days ago.
RT @UBCCommEngage: Across the globe, Chinatowns are disappearing due to urban development and gentrification. On June 5, join us for a free…
5 days ago.
RT @MusicCentreBC: @musiconmain @QAFVancouver @RedshiftSociety @musicaintima @KorsrudJohn and some other amazing people are hosting an amaz…
5 days ago.
RT @Xwi7xwaLibrary: We have a brand new X̱wi7x̱wa research guide available to students and the public! Check out the "Indigenous Traditiona…
6 days ago.
RT @UBC_Arts: In the third part of the "Through our eyes, with our voices" series, Arts alumnus Aidyn Quach asked UBC Arts staff how they a…
6 days ago.