Microsoft harnessed the power of technology to help injured veterans who are physically unable to participate in this year’s Invictus Games still be a fundamental part of it.

Anthem For All uses bespoke technology to enable injured military personnel to play instruments they would otherwise be unable to play, to create the first truly inclusive anthem for The Games. An anthem for injured military personnel, made by injured military personnel.

Microsoft’s Hands Free Lab leveraged a number of technologies including Xbox Adaptive Controllers and Gaze-eye tracking to assemble an orchestra of instruments that could be played with limited hand mobility or through eye movement.

Then we pushed the boundaries of the browser to create a digital experience that allows people to create music online, using their heads, keyboard or mouse.

Head-Tracking Experience. The in-browser head tracking interaction utilized pose estimation models to capture head position to give a user control of the screen’s cursor to trigger musical notes

Keyboard Experience. In this experience, users were able to play the different notes by using keyboard numbers 1 to 8. The challenge was to create an efficient and easy-use way for users to play the notes with a keyboard without interfering with the standard accessibility functions already assigned to the keys.

Mouse or Trackpad Experience. The use of a mouse is the most common and functional way of interacting with a computer. However, this standard device can pose some difficulties for people with dexterity or cognitive issues. In our music composer, we allow users to play the notes on hover rather than click. This allows for a simpler interaction method.

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Recognition:

CLIO Awards: 1 Silver / 3 Bronze