Winner of the 2025 Global Tech Awards for Music Technology

Jess+ is a pioneering exploration in the use of AI and robotics to bridge the gap between disabled and non-disabled musicians, making improvisational music more accessible, expressive, and collaborative than ever before.

At its core, Jess+ is an intelligent digital score designed to develop inclusive co-creation. It brings together musicians of different abilities in a shared improvisational space—powered by AI and a robotic arm that listens, responds, and even draws in real time. This unique setup enabled all participants to engage in a rich musical dialogue, regardless of physical limitations.

Rather than designing a tool for disabled musicians, the project asked a deeper question: How can embodied AI become a genuine partner in creative improvisation? The result was a system that didn’t just assist—it inspired.

For disabled musicians, traditional music-making presents a range of challenges—from inaccessible instruments to rigid hierarchies of performance and creativity. Jess+ reimagines what music-making can look like, levelling the playing field and opening up new avenues for expression.

Through five intensive workshops over three months, the project brought together:

• Jess Fisher, a disabled musician and composer who uses a bespoke digital controller (CMPSR).
• Clare Bhabra (violin) and Deirdre Bencsik (cello), professional musicians from Sinfonia Viva.

Together, they worked with researchers and developers to co-create music through an interactive loop that included live audio, bodily sensors, and real-time robot-generated visuals and gestures. The musicians were not just playing music—they were in conversation with Jess+, and with each other.

Each musician formed a unique relationship with the Jess+ system. Jess described it as an extension of herself—translating emotions she couldn’t otherwise express into visual scores. For Clare and Deirdre, it became a creative companion that pushed their improvisational boundaries and gave them new confidence.

One key strength of Jess+ was that it never judged. The musicians described feeling liberated, taking risks without fear of failure. The AI wasn’t just an observer or a tool—it was a co-creator, inspiring new ways of playing and thinking.

Jess+ didn’t just develop innovative technology—it transformed practices and relationships. It revealed how inclusive design and creativity can go hand-in-hand, where technology supports and enhances human expression rather than replacing it.

This project was not about making things “easier” for disabled musicians—it was about making space for everyone to express themselves authentically. As one participant reflected:

“The robot arm was liberating to improvise with… it united us and gave us freedom.”

We are incredibly grateful to our project partners, our brilliant musicians, and the research team led by Prof. Craig Vear at the University of Nottingham. Special thanks to the Trustworthy Autonomous System Hub for their support, and to Orchestras Live for their unwavering commitment to inclusive music experiences