Updates:

MHRI Conference Workshop Presentation – April 29, 2026

Dave Whalen will be presenting at the Fourth Annual MHRI Conference, Musical Conversations Across the Interdisciplinary Landscape: Bridging Research and Practice, organized by the Music and Health Research Institute at The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.  The workshop is titled Accessible Electronic Music Interfaces and Advanced Computer Interfacing for People with Quadriplegia II: An Update Involving New Developments in Hardware and Software, as a 60-minute workshop.

Details:

• Format: 60-minute workshop (in-person with live online component)

• Date: April 29, 2026

• Time: 9:00 AM

• Location: University of Ottawa

The workshop will cover ongoing developments in accessible electronic music interfaces and adaptive computer interaction systems, with a focus on recent hardware and software updates, live demos and applications for individuals with quadriplegia. Support materials prior to the workshop will be added below. Dave has a number of free software demos for the conference below and links to further information. Contact him for more info.

• Below are links, resources and videos to experimental webpages for playing music off the web.  Links below use sound input as a way to trigger notes as well as other inputs such as a cell phone or webcam head tracking to choose different notes or you can use commercial breath control inputs and other types of hardware. 

• Limited DIY Kits available for nonprofits and universities. Dave continues working on research previously supported by the Craig Nielsen Foundation and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that developed special sensors for hands-free music.  See links below.  We have limited components we can share with individuals that wish to participate in our ongoing symposiums. 

• He will demo FaceNav, a free, powerful motion tracking software application from MotionInput Games, a spinoff of University College London.  

• Acknowledgments:  Much of the information below has been generously supported through contributions from the Craig Nielsen Foundation. Prof. Dean Mohamedally, University College London (UCL), Professor in Computer Science specializing in Software Engineering and Industry Projects and his spin-off company from UCL MotionInput Games pioneer countless assistive technologies including FaceNav, highlighted in examples below.  Prof. V.J. Manzo, Professor of Music at Worcester Polytechnic institute as well as his students have provided tremendous support for development and implementation of new hardware sensors. Prof. Jonas Braasch is a Professor at the School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and teaches in the Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics.  He has critically supported a number of different projects including supporting the ISATMA program since 2014.

University of Ottawa presentation links: free experimental links for noncommercial use