Novita Research Report - 2004 to 2007 - Novita Children's Services

72Project summariesProducts and technology for culture, recreation and sportProject titleContributorsFundingSummaryThe Virtual Music Instrument – usability trials, program enhancements andcommercialisationDr Tom Chau (Bloorview Kids Rehab and University of Toronto), Eric Wan (University ofToronto), David Hobbs• Lions Club of Charles SturtThe Virtual Music Instrument (VMI) is an innovative computer program that converts bodymovements into music. By using a webcam in combination with a laptop computer, the VMIuses gesture recognition to provide a way for children to be able to play music without havingto hold or manipulate an instrument. The user instead plays music by moving in the spacearound them, which has a series of pre-defined ‘hot spots’ in the form of coloured shapesprojected around them and shown on a screen. The system is sensitive enough to generatemusical sounds from very small movements, such as finger movements, to very large ones,such as waving arms. The VMI is simple to use and is aimed at encouraging people withlimited movement to interact with their environment and to have an impact on it by playingmusic.Dr Tom Chau’s team at Bloorview Kids Rehab developed the VMI program. DavidHobbs identified the program in 2003 during his Churchill Fellowship research as thebest application of technology within the rehabilitation engineering and disability field andNovitaTech was the first centre outside of Toronto to trial the program with people with adisability.MethodIn 2004 NovitaTech received the first beta version of the program, known at the time as theMovement to Music system. Since then, activity has occurred on two fronts – VMI usabilitytrials (aimed at collecting feedback and suggested improvement for the program) and VMIresearch (to quantify the benefits VMI offers people with a disability).The ability to conduct usability trials around metropolitan Adelaide received a significantboost through a donation from the Lions Club of Charles Sturt, which purchased thenecessary equipment to form a mobile VMI Kit. This meant the program could bedemonstrated on-site at special schools around Adelaide. Each year all feedback, commentsand suggestions received are forwarded to the team in Toronto to refine and improve theproduct.VMI research activity is currently pending a successful external grant application.