BodyOsc
A wearable electronic instrument that uses the human body as an attenuator and filter for multiple analog oscillators, developed for collaborative performance with dancers.
About the Instrument
BodyOSC is a series of wearable electronic instruments that use the human body as a conduit for audio signals. By incorporating the performer's body into the signal path, the instruments effectively transform it into a summing mixer and resistor network, producing sound through bodily contact.
The instruments were developed to give dancers greater agency in creating the music for their own performances. Rather than controlling a separate sound-generating system through sensors, the dancers become part of the electronic circuit itself. Their physical interactions shape the resulting sound.
Design & Construction
Developed between May and August 2019, the first version of BodyOSC incorporates six tunable square-wave oscillators, each connected to an individual contact point. A seventh contact point, attached to the performer's skin, connects to an external wireless transmitter. The transmitter sends the combined oscillator signals to a computer for further processing.
The oscillator contact points are made from conductive fabric. Depending on the performer's comfort, the output contact uses either conductive fabric or copper tape. Copper snaps and kinesiology tape provide strain relief, helping prevent electrical connections from breaking during movement.
Performance Context
BodyOSC debuted on August 24, 2019, at ODC in San Francisco as part of Driven Arts Collective's Khôra: A Dance in Digital and Physical Space. The instruments enabled dancers to participate directly in the creation of the performance's electronic sound.