Students bring air guitar to life
Discussion
Ananova said:
Students bring air guitar to life
Finnish computer science students have devised a system which enables air guitarists to hear themselves 'play'.
The Virtual Air Guitar project, developed at the Helsinki University of Technology, adds genuine electric guitar sounds to the air guitar.
Using a computer to monitor the hand movements of the 'player', it adds riffs and licks to match frantic mid-air finger work, reports New Scientist.
Aki Kanerva, Juha Laitinen and Teemu Mäki-Patola came up with the idea after being invited to develop a virtual instrument as part of their coursework.
"The first thing that came to mind was an air guitar," Kanerva told New Scientist.
The resulting system consists of a video camera and a computer hooked up to an appropriately loud set of speakers.
The player wears a pair of brightly coloured gloves, enabling computer vision software to keep track of their hands and detect different gestures.
Kanerva said: "No two playing experiences are quite the same.
"When you're playing really hard you get a really nasty distortion sound which is great - but you have to work for it."
Excellent! There is actually an annual air guitar contest in Finland.
The rules are:
The instrument must be invisible - ie, air.
An air guitarist may play an electric guitar or an acoustic one - or both.
Personal air roadies are allowed, but backing groups (real or air) are not.
The winner must carry the joyful tidings of the air guitar forward - thus promoting world peace.
Finalists must perform a compulsory one-minute song - which they do not hear until just before the final - as well as a song of their own choice.
There is no dress code and extra props, such as a guitar pick, may be used. Contestants can strum or finger pick.
Judges are looking for originality, the ability to be taken over by the music, stage charisma, technique, artistic impression and - it goes without saying - "airness".
There is also a UK version on ther competition www.ukairguitar.com
Rock on!
The rules are:
The instrument must be invisible - ie, air.
An air guitarist may play an electric guitar or an acoustic one - or both.
Personal air roadies are allowed, but backing groups (real or air) are not.
The winner must carry the joyful tidings of the air guitar forward - thus promoting world peace.
Finalists must perform a compulsory one-minute song - which they do not hear until just before the final - as well as a song of their own choice.
There is no dress code and extra props, such as a guitar pick, may be used. Contestants can strum or finger pick.
Judges are looking for originality, the ability to be taken over by the music, stage charisma, technique, artistic impression and - it goes without saying - "airness".
There is also a UK version on ther competition www.ukairguitar.com
Rock on!
Ahem.....went to Oulu for a few years as an 'air-roadie' for
various lunatic mates who entered the competition - fantastic
pretext for a monstrous 5-day drinking session, kicking off
in Helsinki, then up to Oulu, back to Helsinki then rounding
off in Tallin. Bloody horrible.
Drinking rule #1: Anybody who says "Finish" has to down
whatever they're drinking at the time. Hell in Finland;
"Eh - do you think that bird's Swedish?" "No...she's
Finnish...oh b*gger..<glug><glug><retch>"
>> Edited by eharding on Wednesday 30th November 17:41
various lunatic mates who entered the competition - fantastic
pretext for a monstrous 5-day drinking session, kicking off
in Helsinki, then up to Oulu, back to Helsinki then rounding
off in Tallin. Bloody horrible.
Drinking rule #1: Anybody who says "Finish" has to down
whatever they're drinking at the time. Hell in Finland;
"Eh - do you think that bird's Swedish?" "No...she's
Finnish...oh b*gger..<glug><glug><retch>"
>> Edited by eharding on Wednesday 30th November 17:41
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