School of Creative Arts

Achievements and Distinctions

Ben received his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in the area of speech and sound coding for a multi-channel cochlear prosthesis. At the same time he collaborated with researchers at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) and began developing novel musical interfaces based on physiological signal acquisition. Ben then became a faculty member and eventually Professor and Chairman of the Computer, Information, and Systems Engineering Department at San Jose State University.

In 1999, he left academia to become a director at the consulting firm MOTO Development Group where he helped develop new human-computer interaction systems for companies such as Sony, Microsoft, Logitech, and Teledyne. Ben is also co-founder of BioControl Systems, a company that has commercialized some of his interface designs. In the Spring of 2006, he served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist at University College, Dublin where he is now a Senior Research Fellow working as part of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers helping elderly people live independent lives.

2006 Fulbright Senior Specialist: University College, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

1998 Finalist: World-Wide Saatchi & Saatchi Innovation in Communication Award

1992 Outstanding Invention Award in 2 Categories – BioMuse

Patents:

1. R. Benjamin Knapp, J. Daniell Hebert, Robert Miller, and Kevin McFarland, “Method and Apparatus for Sensing and Displaying Tablature Associated with a Stringed Musical Instrument,” US Patent #7,223,913, May 2007.

2. David Moore, J. Daniell Hebert, R. Benjamin Knapp, Richard Greene, and Derek Loh, “Helmet Lighting System,” US Patent # 7,221,263, May 2007.

3. R. Benjamin Knapp, J. Daniell Hebert, Robert Miller, and Kevin McFarland, “Method and Apparatus for Sensing and Displaying Tablature Associated with a Stringed Musical Instrument,” US Patent # 6,995,310, February 2006.

4. R. Benjamin Knapp, Lisa E. Hake, and Hugh S. Lusted, “Method and Apparatus for Eye Tracking for Convergence and Strabismus Measurement,” US Patent #5491492, February 1996

5. R. Benjamin Knapp, Lisa E. Hake, and Hugh S. Lusted, “Method and Apparatus for Eye Tracking for Convergence and Strabismus Measurement,” US Patent #5422689, June 1995.

6. R. Benjamin Knapp, Lisa E. Hake, and Hugh S. Lusted, “Method and Apparatus for Eye Tracking for Convergence and Strabismus Measurement,” US Patent #5293187, March 1994.



Research Interests

Ben leads the Music, Sensors, and Emotion (MuSE) research group at SARC. His research at SARC focuses on the understanding and measurement of the physical gestures and emotional states of musical performers and their audience.

Current Work

For over 20 years, Ben has been researching and developing user-interfaces and software that enable the composer and performer to augment the physical control of a musical instrument with more direct neural interaction. From his first article on the BioMuse system, “BioController for Computer Music Applications” in the 1990 Computer Music Journal to his 1996 Scientific American article on “Controlling Computers using Neural Signals” to his 2006 presentation at the International Computer Music Conference introducing the concept of an Integral Music Controller (a generic class of controllers that use the direct measurement of motion and emotion to augment traditional methods of musical instrument control), Ben has focused on creating a user-aware interface based on the acquisition and real-time analysis of biometric signals.

Selected Publications

• M. A. Ortiz Pérez* and R. Benjamin Knapp. “Biotools: Introducing a Hardware and Software Toolkit for Fast Implementation of Biosignals for Musical Applications”. Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, August 25-29, 2007 to be published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Volume: Sense of Sounds, editors: Richard Kronland-Martinet, Sølvi Ystad and Kristoffer Jensen.
• Antonio Camurri , Ginevra Castellano , Roddy Cowie , Donald Glowinski, Ben Knapp, Carol L. Krumhansl, Olivier Villon, Gualtiero Volpe. “The Premio Paganini Experiment : A Multimodal Gesture-based Approach for Explaining Emotional Processes in Music Performance”. Springer Lecture Notes on Computer Science, Volume: Proceedings of GW2007.
• Rory Sobolewski, Brian OMullane, Ben Knapp, and Richard Reilly. “A Portable Neurological Monitor for Use in Cognitive Function Studies,” Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Engineering in Medicine and Biology, Lyon, France, August 2007.
• M. A. Ortiz Pérez*, R. Benjamin Knapp and M. Alcorn, “Díamair: Composing for Choir and Integral Music Controller”. Proceedings of the New Interfaces for Musical Expression 2007 Conference, New York, NY, June 7-9, 2007.
• R. Benjamin Knapp and Perry R. Cook, “Creating a Network of Integral Music Controllers,” Proceedings of the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) Conference, IRCAM, Paris, France, June 5-7, 2006.
• R. Benjamin Knapp and Perry R. Cook, “The Integral Music Controller: Introducing a Direct Emotional Interface to Gestural Control of Sound Synthesis,” Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), Barcelona, Spain, September 4-9, 2005.
• R. Benjamin Knapp and Hugh S. Lusted, “Designing a Biocontrol Interface for Commercial and Consumer Mobile Applications: Effective Control within Ergonomic and Usability Constraints,” Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction, Las Vegas, NV, July 22-27, 2005
• R. Benjamin Knapp and Atau Tenaka, “Multimodal Interaction in Music Using the Electromyogram and Relative Position Sensing,” Proceedings of the NIME Conference 2002, Media Lab Europe, Dublin, Ireland, May 2002.
• Hugh S. Lusted and R. Benjamin Knapp, “Controlling Computers with Neural Signals,” Scientific American, October 1996.

*students of R. Benjamin Knapp

Research Grants

CAPSIL EU FP7 Grant 2008-2010


Future Research


Ben's most recent work at SARC includes collaboration with the HUMAINE (Human-Machine Interaction Network on Emotion) EU Network of Excellence where he is working with University of Genoa to learn more about the emotional state of world-class classical performers during live performance.

Research Students

Miguel Ortiz-Perez (with Michael Alcorn)
Fernando Gualda (with Pedro Rebelo)
Nick Ward (with Sile O’Modhrain)
Nick Gillian (with Sile O’Modhrain)
Javier Jaimovich

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