On Percussion

Cranial percussion.

Percussion of the skull dates from a time when there were virtually no radiological methods for examining the skull and brain. Three apparently independent contributions appeared within the years 1893-1895. The sound elicited, tenderness, and auscultatory percussion have each been employed for diagnostic purposes, but have long been superseded.

Chest percussion.

The direct method of chest percussion, first described by Auenbrugger but disseminated by Corvisart, has rapidly been replaced by the indirect or digitodigital method. Chest percussion has not been evaluated by modern acoustic means, so that our present knowledge of the method does not consistently differ from the 19th century approach. Auscultatory percussion is not superior to conventional pe...

Mobile Device Percussion Parade

In this paper, we present the “Mobile Device Marching Band” (MDMB) as a new mode of musical performance with mobile computing devices. We define an MDMB to be, at its most general, any ensemble utilizing mobile computation that can travel as it performs, with the performance being independent of its location. We will discuss the affordances and limitations of mobile-based instrument design and ...

Auscultation and Percussion

Imitation Framework for Percussion

We present a framework for imitation of percussion performances with parameter-based learning for accurate reproduction. We constructed a robotic setup involving pull-solenoids attached to drum sticks which communicate with a computer through a microcontroller. The imitation framework allows for parameter adaptation to different mechanical constructions by learning the capabilities of the overa...