The MEGA project: analysis and synthesis of multisensory expressive gesture in performing art applications

This article presents a survey of the research work carried out within the framework of the European Union-IST project MEGA (Multisensory Expressive Gesture Applications, November 2000 – October 2003; www.megaproject.org). First, the article introduces a layered conceptual framework for analysis and synthesis of expressive gesture. Such a framework represents the main methodological foundation upon which the MEGA project built its own research. A brief overview of the achievements of research in expressive gesture analysis and synthesis is then provided: these are the outcomes of some experiments that were carried out in order to investigate specific aspects of expressive gestural communication. The work resulted in the design and development of a collection of software libraries integrated in the MEGA System Environment (MEGASE) based on the EyesWeb open platform (www.eyesweb.org).