Music and biomechanics may not be the most likely combination, but at Ball State, all it took was an idea and a little collaboration to make it a winning one.

The idea began when Hans Sturm, Ball State double bass professor and widely recognized performer, came across an article about how high-tech motion-capture technology was used to recreate Tiger Woods’ powerful swing in video games. Sturm immediately thought of his mentor, world-renowned double bassist Francois Rabbath, and wondered whether the same technology could be used to capture the unique swing of his bow.

Sturm took the idea to Eric Dugan, director of Ball State’s Biomechanics Laboratory. Dugan thought this would be an excellent research project for his lab and was excited about the collaboration. So was Rabbath. The master came all the way from Paris so the Ball State researchers could capture his bowing techniques.

The process required Rabbath to wear a form-fitting, high-tech bodysuit covered with reflective, spherical sensors. Infrared light picked up the reflection of the tracking sensors, translating each movement of his fingers, wrist, and bow arm into data, which was then transformed by software into a digital model of Rabbath’s subtle movements.

That digital model was used to create Art of the Bow, an educational DVD that has received international acclaim and become a teaching tool for bassists around the world.