A Digital Twin for Theremin’s Terpsitone from 1970s

sergey kasich; Breanna Lau

Image credit: sergey kasich; Breanna Lau

• oral
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: in person
• Duration: 13
• Type: medium
• Session: NIME's Historical Objects

Abstract:

In this paper, we present a current work on creation of the first interactive digital twin of the Terpsitone - a rare electronic musical instrument designed by Leon Theremin to be played via full-body movements. This full-scale Virtual Reality (VR) replica serves two main purposes: preserving cultural heritage within an interactive volumetric context and making this unique instrument accessible for modern artistic and educational practices. This text discusses the general concept of preservation through Digital Twinning, attempts to provide a historically accurate introduction to the instrument based on primary sources, and details the technical implementation of the twin. We conclude with an outline for future work.