Malletwand

This page will hold further documentation of the device. Meanwhile, please refer to the source repository.

Malletwand is a handheld device in the form of a pendulum (a handle with a hanging, swinging bob). It acts as an exploratory interface that allows participants to feel and manipulate musical timing. The participant swings the pendulum, and a robotic glockenspiel instrument plays music with a tempo matching the pendulum at one beat per swing.

The physical properties of the pendulum make an organic mapping that naturally gravitates towards a steady, plausible rhythm, while still intuitively open to explicit control. While particularly suitable as an introductory, educational means of musical engagement, this interface caters to varied levels of expertise, providing opportunities for expression by manifesting the participant’s own understanding of the musical phrases. Social play is also encouraged through a multi-player cooperative mode. We envision that the approach of physically-guided, tactile, accessible interaction schemes can be extended to wider contexts and different media formats to foster participant exploration, discovery, and creativity.