Musicians are exceptionally demanding users of technology. An expert performer of a traditional instrument expects it to provide near-perfect reliability, precise and predictable control, low latency and high-bandwidth multimodal feedback. Despite steady advances in computational modelling of acoustic instrument sounds, digital instruments still lag far behind their traditional counterparts in the nuance of interaction. The fundamental problem is not computational power, but rather the bottleneck of physical-digital integration, capturing the range and subtlety of a performer's actions.

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Motivated by these challenges of expert musical interaction, this fellowship aims to deliver industry-changing embedded computing tools for creating interactive systems. The project is organised around three core areas: (1) high-performance embedded system architecture; (2) sensor integration and signal processing for musical interaction; and (3) making computing accessible to non-expert creators ("makers"). In contrast to existing maker tools based on low-capability microcontrollers, this project will deliver a high-performance multicore architecture which prioritises high-bandwidth real-time interaction, disseminating the results as an open-source community platform. Impact activities targeting the arts and education will enrich and inform the research outcomes.

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This cross-disciplinary project incorporates embedded systems, human-computer interaction and musical practice. The research is multi-sectorial and translational, featuring close coordination between the university and a consortium of industrial partners. The project is use-driven not only in its benefits to the partners, but also in that it responds to the needs of musicians and creative technologists and addresses societal challenges of broadening participation in computing.

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