Necessity often does prove to be the mother of invention.
Haken, an adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois and leader of the UI's CERL Sound Group, will demonstrate his invention at the International Computer Music Conference Aug. 28-Sept. 1 in Berlin. The continuum fingerboard, which connects to a synthesizer or USB-capable computer, resembles a piano keyboard in shape and size, and, like a keyboard, is played with the fingers. However, it is more akin to a fretless string instrument in that it doesn't have discrete pitches. It may be a while before vast numbers of musicians start beating down Haken's door to acquire the continuum fingerboard.