Développement d'une plate-forme robotisée pour l'étude des instruments de musique à cordes pincées

摘要

The study of musical instruments involves the study of musicians, instruments and of the complex interaction that exists between them. The analysis of musical gestures requires numerous measurements on musicians to extract the relevant parameters in order to model their interaction. In the case of plucked string instruments, the goal is to determine the initial conditions imposed on the string by the plucking mechanism (plectrum, finger). How does one get all these parameters without disrupting the musician in playing conditions ? How can one know that the parameters are the best ones to describe the initial conditions of the string vibrations and its acoustic signature ? An experimental platform has been designed to answer these questions. It can reproduce the gesture of a musician, in particular of a harpist or a harpsichordist. It should be pointed out that the concept of a musical gesture is defined here in a broad sense : the robot can reproduce either the path followed by the musician's fingers, or the initial conditions resulting from this trajectory. The first method is particularly suited for the resolution of an inverse dynamic problem. One can then calculate the forces developed by the musician's muscles during the execution of a musical piece, for example. The second method is better suited for imposing specific initial conditions on the instrument through trajectories designed by the experimenter. The correct reproduction of the trajectories needs to reject disturbances due to the contact between the robot and the instrument. The design of a force sensor, integrated into the robot end effector, is a first step toward satisfying this requirement. After the design of the robotic platform, its precision and repeatability is investigated. The force sensor is then integrated on the robot end effector, and an example of its use is presented. The experiment is focused on the harmonization of the harpsichord plectra. Harmonization is a complex process of adjustments achieved by the luthier on the instrument. A model of the plectrum / string interaction, taking into account the geometry of the plectrum, as well as experiments performed on a real harpsichord, show that harmonization have an impact on the string initial conditions of vibration.