The Implacable

About the piece:

(2016)
This digital device, supported by open-source software, a USB camera, and fiducial markers (sound tattoos), reads the movement of bodies or objects and converts it into MIDI information, which is then used to produce sound. It was developed for use in live performances of the avant-garde music project "Pla". It allows audience members to join the musical improvisations with the movement of their bodies, without needing to know how to play an instrument:

“Sound tattoos are graphic symbols that function as keys, and when 'The Implacable' detects their unique combination, it produces different sounds, which we can program to our liking. The person wearing these images intervenes with their body movement in the sound of each musical piece in real-time,” explains Isaías, its developer.

During live performances of "Pla", 4 USB cameras are placed around the musicians at 90º intervals, each connected to a device and each triggering a different synthesizer sound. The resulting music is the product of the real-time combination of sounds activated by the audience's body movements and the musical instruments.

“The Implacable” uses a computer vision algorithm to quickly track specially designed fiducial or reference markers. The user interface consists of images captured by the camera, showing in black and white the movement of bodies along the X, Y, and Z axes within its field of vision and indicating whether the movement information is being processed.