Abstract
Technological advancements have revolutionized the design and social role of musical instruments, positioning them at the center of contemporary cultural discourse and redefining how individuals and communities participate in musical practices. This study introduces AquaWave, a mixed-reality musical instrument system developed with Meta Quest 3 and Unity. It utilizes full-color passthrough, hand gesture tracking, and spatial computing to provide an intuitive and immersive platform for musical expression. The system integrates various virtual instruments, interactive gestures, and spatial narrative elements, enhancing intuitive and flexible musical interaction. To address the limitations of traditional and digital musical instruments-such as lack of portability, high learning barriers, and limited interactivity-this system adopts a lightweight head-mounted display as its primary platform. It integrates anthropomorphic instrument designs, dynamic path guidance, and exploratory interaction mechanisms to enhance accessibility and user engagement. Experimental results demonstrate that the system facilitates improvisation, reduces performance anxiety, and enhances accessibility in collaborative music-making. Participants adapted rapidly, exhibited diverse performance styles, and benefited from its user-friendly design. The shared interactive space, enabled by wireless projection technology, strengthened peer collaboration and social connections. The results confirm its potential in expanding the ability of virtual instruments, bridging individual and collective music-making experiences, and advancing mixed-reality-enabled collaborative learning models. Future research will expand the instrument library, refine interactive narrative mechanisms, and advance spatial audio integration. Additionally, it will explore applications in arts and humanities, technology, and education to maximize AquaWave's creative and social impact. This approach aims to redefine immersive musical experiences and create new pathways for collaborative music-making, ultimately enhancing creative expression and social engagement.