Biomedical engineers at Toronto’s Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital have created a Virtual Musical Instrument (VMI) that allows a quadraplegic to play music with slight movements of his head. A computer’s webcam captures his movements, and as his head passes through particular shapes displayed on the screen, different classical music phrases are played.
He is Eric Wan, a software engineer by training and paralyzed from the neck down. He is also playing Pachelbel’s Canon before an audience with the Montreal Chamber Orchestra at the renowned Place des Arts tonight. Playing along with Wan is another talented Toronto musician, Adrian Anantawan, a violinist who uses a prosthetic hand to hold his bow. The concert is a proof of concept that the VMI can be used at the highest levels of musical performance.
via thestar