Telematic Drum Circle

Byeong Sam Jeon, Telematic Drum Circle, aluminum, microcontrollers, pneumatic air control valves, magnetic air cylinders, reed switches, electronic air control valves, percussion instruments, webcam, video broadcaster, lighting equipment, custom software, audio mixer, microphones, computers, air compressor, air tubes, drum sticks, video projectors, etc., 35 x 35 x 5 ft, 2008. (© Byeong Sam Jeon)

Telematic Drum Circle combines telecommunications, robotics, human-computer interaction and improvisational music. The project allows multiple on-line users around the world to create a live collective sound improvisation by controlling 16 robotic percussion instruments via the Internet. The project explores the rupture of deep communication in the technology-mediated world and addresses the issue of global harmony by sharing the participants’ rhythmical spirit produced through the telematic live drum ensemble (top).

Telematic Drum Circle consists of two main components: a set of 16 robotic percussion instruments arranged in an installation space (bottom left) and an interactive web site (bottom right) networked with these drums. Each percussion instrument is representative of a geo-cultural region. Regardless of age, sex, religion, race or culture, we all have a universal rhythm---a heartbeat. The drum is a rhythmic instrument that can stand in for a person’s heart. The heart-to-heart communication expressed on drums and percussion instruments cuts through all differences and blurs the boundaries between us. By tapping the computer keyboard while on the web site, participants around the world can remotely play the robotic instruments together while watching a live streaming video of their ensemble broadcast through the site as robotic drums playing.

Byeong Sam Jeon
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A.
Web: www.telematicdrumcircle.net/.

Updated 27 January 2010