Haptification of performer's control gestures in live electronic music performance

In this paper, we introduce musical haptic wearables for audiences (MHWAs) which provide sensing and haptic stimulation technologies for networked musical interaction using wireless connectivity. We report on a concert experiment during which audience members could experience vibro-tactile feedback mapped to the control gestures of two electronic music performers. Preliminary results suggest that MHWAs may increase the audience's understanding of the musical expression and the presence of the performers when the tempo is slow while no significant effects were found at fast tempi. Participants' comments also indicate that vibro-tactile feedback related to musical attributes such as beat could enrich some aspects of the live music experience.