Matt Davis [namethemachine] is seen here with Microsoft’s Kinect computer vision / 3D camera controller, plus – stealing the show – lasers. The lasers in question are a rig by Henry Strange, which allows computer control of laser direction using the DMX protocol. (DMX is a protocol similar to MIDI – though actually a bit simpler, if you can believe that – generally associated with lighting and show control.)
I could say more, but I’ll let you watch the video and ponder. The ingredients:
OpenNI, the “natural interface” not-for-profit standards body and organization that allows drivers across multiple hardware (Kinect being the best-known)
Ableton Live (sound)
Max/MSP (I believe here just translating OpenNI control to MIDI and perhaps DMX, as well)
The result: audiovisual control, and The Future. (Now, the only problem is, I’m not sure I’d want to watch an entire lineup of people doing these kinds of gestures while performing, but I could certainly see this alongside other alternative control schemes, from breath to good-old-fashioned tangible controllers.)
Thanks, Laura Escude, for the tip. (Laura has her own interface for futuristic electronic performance – she uses a violin!)