“Musical Trinkets: New Pieces to Play” by Paradiso

A swept-frequency resonant tag reader optimized for real-time user interaction and measurement of several continuous parameters enables users to interact with music and graphics in unusual ways through an array of 15 tagged objects. When inserted into the measurement volume (roughly a one-foot cube atop the sensing surface), each object varies a different set of musical parameters or rules.

Since they don’t interfere with each another, all tags can be used simultaneously. Every tag measures continuous proximity correlated with angle. Several can be worn around the fingers as rings, creating a virtual velocity-sensitive keyboard. Some objects are embedded with multiple tags so they can also resolve two-axis inclination. Others change characteristics with pressure, enabling a “squeeze” measurement. Some are structured to sit atop the table, launching background sounds and textures, while others can be rolled around, dynamically adding and modifying audio and graphic effects.