The Doepfer Mogli and Gesture Control

In 1993 Doepfer presented the Mogli MIDI Data Glove Controller, an alternative controller device that was based on a Nintendo Power Glove controller.
It had traditional NES controller buttons on the forearm as well as a program button and buttons labeled 0-9.

The complete Mogli set with Power Glove,
receivers,  Mogli interface box and adapters

There were two ultrasonic speakers (transmitters) in the glove and you had to put three ultrasonic microphones (receivers) around your TV monitor.
The ultrasonic speakers took turns transmitting a short burst (a few pulses) of 40 kHz sound and the system measured the time it took for the sound to reach the microphones.
A triangulation calculation was performed to determine the X, Y, Z location of each of the two speakers, which specified the yaw and roll of the hand.
It could also sense the bend of the individual fingers, the only dimension it couldn't calculate was the pitch of the hand, since the hand can pitch without moving the location of the two ultrasonic speakers.

The Power Glove was originally released in 1989 and was in general a critical and commercial failure.
Partly because of the lack of accuracy and the availability of games (for it's original use with the NES)

The Mogli interface box, Power Glove and adapters

In 1993 Doepfer introduced an external box that could receive the glove's data and convert it into MIDI signals.
The name Mogli stands for 'Midi Output GLove Interface'
The original Mogli interface box was equipped with MIDI in and MIDI out, and it had a red 3-digit LED display.
The display was needed to program the unit (i.e.to assign different function to the fingers, to the X/Y/Z coordinates, to the rotating angle and so on).

After a calibrating procedure the glove could be used in different controller modes.
The 'Virtual Play' mode was maybe the most attractive mode, in which could make you play a virtual keyboard in the free space.
In Direct Mode you could assign any movement to any MIDI controller, other modes were Gesture Mode (converting sign-language to MIDI controllers) Vector Mode (position sensing only) and Manipulation Mode (for manipulating incoming MIDI with the glove).

Although i am not the world's greatest electronics-guy i do have a feeling that the original Mogli converter box could be easily transformed into a version that sends Control Voltage and/or Gate signals.

Original Nintendo Power Glove

If you can find one, it will probably just work just fine with one of Doepfer's MIDI-to-CV modules, but you might not get the most out of all the glove's many functions.

The price of the system was 598 DM (i.e. about 300 Euro) for the ready built unit including a Nintendo power glove.
The kit version was 448 DM (i.e. about 225 Euro) incl. Nintendo power glove.
The control box only (without the glove) was 398 DM (i.e, about 200 Euro)
A kit version of the box was also available for just 258 DM (i.e. about 130 Euro)

The unit was available from March 93 until December 1995, but Doepfer had to stop the production because the Nintendo Power Glove was no longer available.
Around 350 units were made in total.
Interesting fact is that the Mogli was also used by Kraftwerk (on 'Pocket Calculator' and 'Music Non Stop') during their concert at the Brucknerhaus in Linz/Austria on the occasion of the ARS Electronica Festival for Art, Technology and Society in 1993.

Okay, i admit that the technology of the Power Glove might be outdated by now, but the idea of controlling sounds/patches with the move of your hand will always stay an interesting subject.
Roland is famous for its D-Beam technology since 1998.
The A-178 Theremin Control Voltage module (or the discontinued A-179 Light Controlled Voltage Source) definitely do not offer all the functionality of a glove like this.

However, i do think we will see some kind of gesture-control-trend coming up this year with the recently announced Kinect motion sensing input device by Microsoft, that was already available for the X-Box platform but that will soon be available for the Windows platform too.
I wonder how soon the first interesting gesture-controlled modular synth-video's will pop up on YouTube...

Find the Mogli's user-manual (in German language only) HERE
Please let me know if you have an English version, or else check the start of my translation project (work in progress).

* Many thanks to Dieter Doepfer for the additional info
* Pictures by Gaiana via http://www.synthforum.nl/

Video by studentsmusic added March 1st, 2017:
Doepfer MOGLI Midi Glove (Rare - Vintage)

Most Wanted V - A-100TKB Touch Sensor Keyboard

Perhaps best known for their non-moving touch sensor keyboards were the Electric Dream Plant Wasp and Gnat ( and the Electronic Music Studios EMS Synthi A * ) synthesizers that were produced during the late seventies/ the early eighties.
Doepfer's Touch Sensor Keyboard was announced a loooong time ago.

There have been many prototypes of this , and there have been many suggestions and discussions, but still there is no final design or release-date in sight.

Prototype #1

The first prototype (2005?) was a sequencer + keyboard all-in-one version, that looked like the original Sherman Filterbank, but with a keyboard with metal plates in front of it.
For their second prototype (2007), Doepfer decided to drop the sequencer, to give the buyers the chance to buy their own sequencer ( if they needed one ). This prototype is still my favorite, with it's 25 metal keys... simple and plain.

Prototype #2

In the first two versions of the TKB the hum noise inducted by the sourrounding mains was used as working principle, but they found that this principle did not work perfect in all cases (changing mains intensity, different mains frequencies 50/60Hz, indoor/outdoor, problems with increasing humidity and some problems more).

The Latest prototype, shown at NAMM 2010, was equipped with 16 uniform metal plates. Here is where Doepfer went for another approach, now with capacitive sensing pads.

Still, this was a prototype, and i bet Doepfer got a lot of feedback, but probably not enough (or maybe even too much) to make a final production-model.

From the Doepfer site: 

" The number, shape and dimensions of the pads can be adjusted to the customers wishes but we will be able to manufacture only one or maybe two versions (e.g. one with a keyboard layout like version 1 and 2 and another with a non-keyboard layout like version 3).

Prototype #3

In any case it is planned to separate the control until (i.e. the potentiometers, sockets, LEDs and so on) from the touch section. The touch section could be like a module (i.e. assembled like a module to the frame) or a separate box with a cable that leads to the control module (or external control box for stand-alone applications).

As an option we think about a pressure sensor below the keys that measures the pressure applied to the metal plates. The touch keyboard will be probably equipped with outputs for Gate, CV1 (pitch), CV2 (pressure) and Midi.
Due to the nature of the keyboard velocity measurement is not possible and even the Midi output is monophonic only.
Suitable supports to mount the keyboard case into a 19" rack at different positions and angles are planned for the touch version of the keyboard (not possible for the normal version as the width is more than 19"). We also think about a DIY version of the TKB, i.e. only an electronics without the metal plates that can be used to connect any metal plates that have to be added by the user. "

More detailed info on the whole TKB project HERE

* Thanks Marc

A-178 Theremin Control Voltage Source

The Theremin, invented in the late 1920's by Léon Theremin was one of the earliest electronic instruments.
The instrument is known for it's distinctive ( spooky ) sound, but most of all for it's playing method; Instead of playing it with a keyboard, the Theremin has antennas that sense the movement of the players hand, without touching the instrument.
Best known for playing the Theremin is Clara Rockmore, one of Theremins finest students.

Most theremins use two antennas, usually one for pitch and one for volume, so with two Doepfer A-178 Theremin Voltage Source modules, an oscillator (VCO) and an amplifier (VCA) module, it is quite easy to re-create the sound of a 'real' Theremin. You can even easily extend that sound by patching in filters or other modules.

And again, that is what makes the A-100 modular so versatile. 

Instead of just recreating the original Theremin you can use the module as a control voltage source for other modules. 

The voltages can be used for controlling any voltage controlled parameter of the A-100, e.g. pitch or pulsewidth (VCO A-110/111), loudness (VCA A-130/131/132), panning (A-134), filter frequency or resonance from all of the filter modules, phasing (A-125), frequency shift (A-126), resonance peaks (A-127), envelope parameters (A-141/142), and tempo (A-147), to name just a few ;-)

The Gate-output with adjustable threshold (not available on the original Theremin) is a nice extra output. I often use this for (re-) triggering notes or filter effects, but it can also be used for starting sequences (A-155) or for reset or switching functions (A-152).

Doepfer recommends if two or more A-178 are used the distance between the modules/antennas should be at least 30 cm to avoid interference.