Practice-based research, evaluation, and artistic validation of emerging audiovisual technologies
FLO Lab is the research and experimentation strand of the Female Laptop Orchestra (FLO). We provide a practice-based research environment where emerging music and audiovisual technologies are explored, tested, and evaluated artistically, technically, and physically.
FLO Lab brings together FLO’s globally distributed multidisciplinary community of composers, performers, visual artists, researchers, and technologists. Many members hold academic positions in music, sound, HCI, and related fields, positioning FLO Lab as a uniquely research-literate and artistically grounded testbed for experimental systems.
FLO Lab focuses on in-situ evaluation, rather than laboratory simulations:
- Technologies are tested through rehearsals, performances, recordings, and workshops
- Feedback emerges from sustained artistic engagement
- Successes and failures are documented as part of an exploratory research process
FLO Lab has previously engaged with networked performance systems, mobile apps for audio streaming, web audio tools, new interfaces for musical expression, quantum circuits and distributed music-making infrastructures. This work has resulted in public performances, recordings, invited talks, workshops, and peer-reviewed research publications.
Collaboration with FLO Lab is project-specific with optional participation, and may include:
- Practice-based evaluation of audiovisual technologies
- Expert user feedback on usability, workflows, creative affordances, and limitations
- Artistic validation of tools and platforms across rehearsals, recordings, and public performance contexts
- Contribution to research publications or reflective documentation
- Participation in funded research projects (e.g. ERC, national grants, PoCs)
FLO Lab is not a commercial testing service. We are a collaborative research environment grounded in ethical practice, informed consent, and timelines that respect the rhythms of academic and artistic practice. Industry and research partners are welcome where these goals and principles align.
FLO 