A prospective talk for SXSW Music 2013

2. WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE?
- EEG (electroencephalography)
- What / how am I thinking?
- EMG (electromyography)
- What are my muscles doing?
- Physical position
- Where are my fingers / limbs?
- Heartrate / facial expression / skin flushing / eye position
- What am I feeling?
- Combinations (ala Emotiv EPOC)
- Multiple integrated technologies provide many dimensions of signals
- Direct neural interfaces

3. EXAMPLES OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES
Will be videos and images of:
- EEGs, EMGs for computer / robot control
- Motion capture for 3D games / movies
- Emotion detection systems and eye tracking
- Direct BCIs, retinal implants, cochlear implants

4. WHAT MAKES A NEURAL INSTRUMENT BETTER?
- More intuitive
- More dimensions
- More notes!
- Higher-level composition / sound control
- Better freedom of movement

5. HOW DO WE MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE?
Similar strategies to existing physical instruments:
- Easy learning curve
- Fun games and competitions
- Increasing levels of price / difficulty
- Stylish appearance and form…

6. HOW DO WE MAKE THEM SEXY?
Let’s face it, musicians want to look good while they’re making music.
Medical neural interfaces and other instrumentation systems are typically
built for functionality and sterility, not for style.
Considerations:
- Visual style and design
- Dynamic aesthetic – movement and fluidity, performance aspect
- Extensions of interface – video control, emotional conveyance
- User base – sexy people should want to use them!

7. HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
Roadmap to existence…
Some already in progress:
- MiND Ensemble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwgq_jrJnnw
- This section needs more research. Examples to follow…
- …
- …
R&D / Funding
- Govt grands go to medical tech, so alternate source needed
- Kickstarter? VC? Hackathon?

8. DEMO OF SIMPLE EXAMPLE
Physical demonstration of EMG-based instrument
- Modulation of frequency
- Tone control
- Use of multiple instrument types (percussive, tonal) in performance