Baby, Let Me Drive Your Guitar

A new University of Southern California computer system lets a user "drive" a
piece of music, using a wheel and foot controls. The Expression Synthesis
Project (ESP) interface, devised by a team led by Elaine Chew of the
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, could be in the hands of consumers
within two years.

Chew presented ESP May 28 at the New Interfaces for Musical Expression
(NIME) 2005 conference at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver,
Canada.

Chew, an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, is
also pianist performing a schedule of concert appearances in addition to
her work at the Viterbi School’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial
and Systems Engineering. She says ESP "allows everyone a chance to
experience what it’s like to perform. It lets them appreciate the decisions
made by a musician in interpreting the music."

ESP "attempts to provide a driving interface for musical expression," according
to Chew’s published description. "The premise of ESP is that driving
serves as an effective metaphor for expressive music performance. Not everyone
can play an instrument but almost anyone can drive a car. By using a familiar
interface, ESP aims to provide a compelling metaphor for expressive performance
so as to make high-level expressive decisions accessible to non-experts."

In a related announcement, UC Berkeley scientists
have developed a device permitting musicians to drive their cars by
playing their
instruments.  According
to cybernetic interface expert Dr. Manuel Encarnacion, "A guitarist has
highly develop reflexes and muscle control for playing the guitar. Why
shouldn’t he or she be able to use those reflexes to do other daily
tasks, like driving."

According to Dr. Encarnation, conventional driving controls are
just a convention, like the qwerty keyboard, and not necessarily the
most ergonomically efficient way to direct a powered vehicle.

from
the
University of Californai via Eureka Alert