ABS, printed circuit board, and lithium-ion battery

Dimensions variable

Although electronic music has made the manipulation of sound and rhythm ubiquitous, the interaction between physical movement and sonic elements remains mostly untapped. The goal of the Interlude Project is to “develop collaborative movement interfaces that make an expressive exploration of music possible” in real time, the designers say. MO musical objects respond to physical gestures with aural feedback. The bow-tie shaped central module contains motion sensors; other parts can be linked to everyday objects or musical instruments, allowing users to configure an orchestra out of any objects they like. The project was conducted by the Interlude Consortium, which was coordinated by Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) with support from the French National Research Agency (ANR) and Cap Digital, and which includes Grame (center for digital-music research and creation) and DA FACT (a musical instrument design company), Voxler (a company that focuses on vocal-interaction software), and Atelier des Feuillantines, Paris (an arts school).