Kieran Plissonneau has just completed a Masters degree in electronics and ‘Sonic Leap’ was developed as part of his final project.
At the core of the instrument is the Leap Motion sensor, an infra-red gesture controller which can detect individual fingers moving in three dimensions.
There have been lots of applications developed to exploit the device, but Plissonneau recognised that they tended to be very ‘input heavy,’ typically with lots of menus to click through and lots of work required for set-up.
He wanted to develop an instrument that was accessible to anyone.
A piano is immediately playable – you lift the lid and start creating.
With Sonic Leap, Plissonneau is aiming for the same immediacy, but uses the massive power and potential of the Leap Motion sensor to add flexibility and accessibility.
Aiming digits at on-screen pads that can be changed, as required, to any shape, the player can trigger sounds and use gestures to add tone or effects. The player can create sound-worlds without the need for great physical dexterity.