Date of Award

6-23-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2025

Department

Computer Science and Engineering

First Advisor

Ahmed Amer

Abstract

The progression of stage lighting in the modern age has significantly influenced the immersive experience of the audience. Through events like Daft Punk’s 2006 Cochella performance, lighting has become more pivotal to performances in every genre. However, interactive, customized lighting remains inaccessible to small and mediumscale performers. The cost of hiring a lighting director or pre-programing each song is simply too much. Current cost effective solutions, like sound-activated effects, lack in both quality and real-time emotional responsiveness.

This thesis presents an interactive lighting control system designed to bridge this gap and create a novel creative tool. Our approach integrates MIDI-triggered DMX512 lighting control, enabling performers to trigger lighting cues through their existing music equipment. Additionally, we implement a computer vision module to detect the artist’s facial expressions to dynamically cue lighting scenes that align with performers’ expressions. Together, these features offer a real-time, cost-effective, and emotionally responsive lighting solution for performers. Our system enhances the connection between artist and audience while reducing reliance on external lighting personnel.

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