Workshop with Daito Manebe (Part 2)

Warning!!!
The following workshop uses electric current to stimulate human muscles, it can be deadly or may have short/long term effects if use improperly. If anyone interests in performing similar experiment, please consults and works with professionals (electronic & medical). A disclaimer was signed for all participants for this workshop.


Part 2 is using myoelectric sensors to detect of the electrical potential generated by muscle cells when these cells are electrically or neurologically activated; for details, check out Electromyography. Three patches were attached to a set of muscle. The stronger the muscle group, the stronger the signal can be detected.

The signals can then be transferred the computer through USB wirelessly. Since the signals are relatively weak, they may be easily interfered by electric devices such as a computer monitor; stay a few feet from a monitor is recommended.

Electronics signals can then be applied to play with various musical instrument simulation functions in MaxMSP.



With practice and using multiple sensors attached to different groups of muscle, the performance can be sophisticated.



Finally, the signals can be also use to electric-shock another participant (Part 1), also as seen in Daito Manebe’s performance earlier before. The signals have to go through a different algorithm. First, weak signals (noises) are filtered out, then signals are transformed into a distinct square-wave form, instead of a continuous sine-wave form as in a music note. As experienced in Part 1, electric current in a sine-wave form causes the recipient more pain, especially to delicate body parts such as the facial muscles.



In this exercise, live human muscles are used as an interactive input & output devices; quite an eye opener. The procedures are relatively simple, I heard that myoelectric sensors are quite expensive and Daito Manebe is planning to released the remote sensor units as a commercial product. I'm less interested in this, may be a massage robot would have been nice.