Matan Berkowitz: Tech is the Instrument
Talk description:
How making music led me to technology, using sensors to translate signals from the human body (motion, heartbeat, brainwaves, etc) into sound. How working in technology led me to impact entrepreneurship: building solutions for paralyzed, blind, amputated and autistic individuals to express themselves in new ways, and eventually starting my own company, SHIFT.
The talk will feature stories, videos, and insights based on different projects: from interactive art installations for museums to conceptual performances for Google and Microsoft, from collaborations with XPRIZE around the affordable housing crisis to the Blockchain ecosystem to medical devices and rehabilitation.
The presentation will end with a live demo of the Airstrument, a device that turns hand movements into music and makes music more intuitive and accessible than ever before.
Speaker bio:
Matan lives in the nexus of art, technology, and positive impact. His award-winning inventions translate physical signals (such as brainwaves, heartbeats and movements) into music, turn everyday objects into instruments and have been displayed at museums, galleries, events, and stages worldwide. Matan regularly speaks and performs for the likes of TED, Google, Microsoft, and Forbes. His presentations often combine live musical demos of his inventions, while his unique workshops focus on Rapid Innovation - turning ideas into reality quickly and effectively, without relying on technology.
As the founder of Shift, a company which specializes in impact-driven innovation, Matan co-developed solutions for people with disabilities: enabling paralyzed, amputee, blind and autistic musicians to express themselves in new ways. His latest projects include a motion-controlled instrument which makes playing music easier than ever before, a tongue-operated device that acts as a platform of accessibility and rehabilitation for the severely disabled, and an international art installation connecting different cities in the world via a network of interactive trees. Featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list of most promising young Israelis in science & technology, Matan is an ROI Community member and alumni of The Generational Ambassadors Program (MIT & Harvard) and University of Pennsylvania's Social Global Impact House.
Space is limited, so please RSVP via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/itp-xstory-talks-tech-is-the-instrument-by-matan-berkowitz-tickets-56017204968