Rethinking Instrumental Interface Design: The MetaBow

Alonso Trillo, Roberto and Nelson, Peter A. C. and Michailidis, Tychonas (2023) Rethinking Instrumental Interface Design: The MetaBow. Computer Music Journal, 47 (2). pp. 5-20. ISSN 0148-9267

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Abstract

Although extensive research has been conducted over the past two decades on the development and implementation of sensors using inertial movement units for violin bows, most of these new interfaces share a common drawback—bulky and user-unfriendly design. Despite the advancements in sensor data processing for composition, performance, and pedagogy, interface design remains a critical bottleneck for the real-world implementation of these sensor-embedded devices. Our study introduces MetaBow, a low-cost, nonintrusive frog design for violin bows that can accommodate either a standard sensor kit or a custom-designed board. This interface eliminates the need for additional physical training and maintains the integrity of traditional violin performance mechanisms. We thus view MetaBow as heralding a new era in digital music interface design for the violin family with the potential for seamless human–computer and human–machine collaboration in music practice and performance.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1162/comj_a_00683
Dates:	Date Event 1 June 2023 Accepted 1 June 2023 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Violin bow interface, MetaBow, MBow, DMI design, transparent HCI
Subjects:	CAH11 - computing > CAH11-01 - computing > CAH11-01-01 - computer science
Divisions:	Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > College of Computing
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	10 Mar 2025 14:21
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2025 14:21
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16224

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