Xyborg: A Wearable Hand-based Instrument for Musical Expression

This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of Xyborg, a wearable instrument designed to leverage hand input gestures and arm movements. Xyborg's aims include developing a low-cost musical instrument, providing the performer with expressive control over sound parameters, and establishing a transparent connection between gestures and the resulting sounds for spectators. The design of this instrument prioritizes controllable sonic features and a fixed comprehensible mapping between gestures and sounds, rather than aiming for a broad range of functions and variable mapping. The participants in the evaluation unanimously agreed on the potential for long-term engagement and recognized Xyborg as an instrument that enables expressive sound control through movement, emphasizing its skill-based nature.