The Eye Harp, an inclusive project in the field of music, within reach of everyone
The municipal school of music and dance in Santa Perpètua has incorporated the instrument into its programme with the aim of making learning music accessible to persons that have difficulty to play an instrument.
The municipal school of music and dance in Santa Perpètua has incorporated the instrument into its programme with the aim of making learning music accessible to persons that have difficulty to play an instrument.
The Eye Harp Project was conceived five years ago by Rafael Ramírez and Zacharias Vamvakousis, researchers of the Music Technology Group (MTG) at the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC) at UPF.
The Eye Harp: An Eye Tracking Based Musical Instrument
It allows people with physical disabilities to learn and play music. To use the interface you need a small device that monitors the gaze and detects the position on the screen the user is looking at, transferring this information to the computer. The design of the interface is like a piano but distributed in a circle and divided into different parts; each of these parts is equivalent to a note. In addition, the digital instrument can be played expressively and applying nuances and volumes, among others.
The initiative has been implemented thanks to an agreement between UPF, the University of Barcelona and Santa Perpètua Town Council. With this agreement, the MTG provides the technology free of charge so that as many people as possible can benefit from it.
The first student
Joel Bueno, ten years of age, has major motor difficulties that do not allow him to play any instrument conventionally, but two months ago he started music classes thanks to this digital instrument that works with open source software and allows him to perform songs such as the anthem of his favourite football team.