The Hapstrument: A Bimanual Haptic Interface for Musical Expression

In this paper, we present the Hapstrument: a bimanual haptic interface for musical expression. This DMI uses two low-cost 2-DoF haptic force-feedback devices, one for each hand. The left device controls pitch selection, while the right device controls excitation by simulating the feeling of bowing or plucking a string. A user study was run to evaluate the effectiveness of the Hapstrument. This evaluation received a wide range of reviews, from excellent to poor. Ultimately, the musical backgrounds of the participants greatly impacted their experiences with the Hapstrument. For participants whose expectations aligned with what the instrument could provide, it was an effective DMI that uses force feedback to enhance musical expression.