'Stringless' Guitar, Kurv, Launches on Kickstarter

The future of digital instruments aims for $50k crowdfunding success

Kurv Guitar launches today on Kickstarter, with early bird packages starting from $185. The patent-pending Kurv was developed by a pioneering team with experience in electronic music research, artificial intelligence and product design.  

The Kurv consists of two parts - a button board where you press chords and notes, and a pick. The pick contains a sensor that recognises strumming movements, just like playing on a normal guitar.

The Kickstarter page can be found here.

The Kurv Guitar has been designed as a 'stringless' digital guitar that allows anyone to learn and play songs using touch, motion and gestures. Applying cutting-edge research from Goldsmiths, University of London and the University of Sussex, the device combines advanced music synthesis software, sensor technologies and machine learning to enable an unprecedented level of 'new musical expression'.

Dr. Mick Grierson, co-founder of Kurv and Reader at Goldsmiths Department of Computing commented, "For the first time, we can run advanced music synthesis engines on your mobile phone. When you combine this power with wearable technologies and machine learning, you can develop new musical instruments that were considered science fiction only a few years ago."  

"The guitar is one of the most popular and best selling musical instruments in the world. But, learning the guitar takes time, commitment and is tough on the hands. The design of the Kurv started by looking at the ergonomics of hands. The co-designer of the Kurv, Tania Fauvel, who comes from a background in body-scanning, said, "We started by looking at large surveys of people's' hands. Your fingers can comfortably touch eight distinct places on your palm. In western music, there are eight notes in an octave, eight notes in a scale and eight chords in a key."

John Kennedy, Co-Founder of Kurv and former President of Universal Music International, added "Many people who listen to music aspire not just to be passive listeners, but would like to be playing as well. Many people buy a guitar and work on it for four weeks and then it sits in the corner as a piece of furniture. We hope the Kurv can change that."

For those who would like to create new musical instruments using the Kurv - whether it is a snare drum, viola or an Indonesian angklung - a software development kit is also being released.

Kurv specifications 

1. Compatibility: The Kurv is compatible with devices running iOS 8 or later (must have Bluetooth 4.0, BLE)
2. Weight: Kurv: 35g Pick: 21g
3. Sensors: gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, touch pressure sensors
4. Dimensions: Kurv (Medium): 45mm x 86mm x 45mm; Pick: 50mm x 55mm x 15mm
5. Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, BLE via iOS/Android app
6. Battery Life: 5hrs+ of continuous use
7. Supported protocols: MIDI, OSC

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