AudioCubes: a Distributed Cube Tangible Interface based on Interaction Range for Sound Design

transcript

AudioCubes: a Distributed Cube Tangible Interface based on Interaction Range for Sound DesignBert Schiettecatte1,2, Jean Vanderdonckt2

1Percussa Inc., Mere (Belgium), bert@percussa.com

2Belgian Lab. of Computer-Human Interaction (BCHI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) jean.vanderdonckt@uclouvain.be

Outline Motivations What are AudioCubes? Ways to use AudioCubes Example Configurations Interaction range of AudioCubes Related Work

AudioCubes Design Process AudioCubes Evaluation Conclusion AudioCubes Users AudioCubes Availability

AudioCubes

MotivationsAccessability of professional music and sound tools today

U-Control 33e Malstrom synthesizer in Propellerheads Reason

Laptop artist Kim Cascone performing

Focus on technology and control instead of music or sound ...

Personal experience with ...

What are AudioCubes?Small, wireless, battery powered portable computers which : Detect each other's location and orientation Sense other real-world objects Work with each other and without infrastructure Generate and process sound

Each cube has : USB connector for data exchange

and battery charging 4 faces with IR sensors and

emitters Full colour light source

Ways to use AudioCubes

Each cube generates sound and sends out to other cubes nearby One or more cubes connected to speaker make sound audible Computer needed to set behaviour of cubes initially

Without a computer (i.e. Sound generator)

Cubes detect each other and nearby objects, send info to computer Information from detection is used to interact with software Computer needed to set behaviour of cubes initially

With a computer (i.e. Human Computer Interface)

Example configurations One vs many inputs, one vs. many outputs

Cubes used as sound generator – location and orientation changes parameters AND global behaviour

Interaction range of AudioCubes Regulated by angle (φ), minimum range (rmin=0.5

cm), and maximum range (rmax=50 cm)

Coupling two AudioCubes

φ1 φ2

r1minr1max

r2minr2max

Related work

Audiopad by Patten & Recht (MIT Media Lab) Blockjam by Newton-Dunn et al (Sony CSL IL)

AudioCubes is different from related work in that : The system is self contained and intelligent No infrastructure necessary

AudioCubes Design Process

Techniques used

Paper prototyping

Hand soldering, glueing

Various rapid prototyping techniques, laser cutting

AudioCube second rev.Mechanical design

Paper prototype

AudioCube first platform with external signal processing

AudioCube second platform with built in DSP

AudioCube third platform wtih built in DSP

AudioCubes Evaluation

User observation camera and cube tablewith amplification at the MUHKA museum

Audiocubes connect to table amplifierthrough audio cables

camera

amplifier inputs

1 2 3 4

Micro-phoneinput

Audio Outputjack

Table and camera setup diagram

Standard cube configuration for the art installation Cubes generate sound and send to each other, 2 cubes connected to speakers

Let's put the cubes in a museum and let people make sound with them, without computers ...

AudioCubes Evaluation4 hours of observation video

Among the goals :

•Observe human-machine interaction not anticipated•Determine if visitors could understand and learn system•Is our system more accessible than other classic technology for making electronic music and sound?

ConclusionAudioCubes used as sound generator :

Parameters and behaviour change at the same time

AudioCubes used as computer interface : Cube sense each other's location and orientation

but also distance to other objects Cubes can be easily configured in many ways for

different applications

Lets people explore and be creative with technology, without imposing “control” too much

Gives room to “happy accidents”

In both cases :

AudioCubes users in Education•Berklee College of Music (USA)•KnowledgeXtensions, Inc (USA)•Watch That Sound (Netherlands)•Pantalone (Belgium)

AudioCubes users in ResearchSaint Mary's University (Canada)Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium)University of Southern Denmark (Denmark)University of Western Sydney (Australia)V2 (Netherlands)

Past AudioCube workshopsV2, RotterdamVancouver New Music & Video In/Out, VancouverVooruit, Ghent

Thank you very much for your attention!

http://www.percussa.com/ PERCUSSA

http://www.isys.ucl.ac.be/bchi Belgian Lab. of Computer-Human Interaction

http://www.similar.ccEuropean excellence network on Multimodal User Interfaces

AudioCubes: a Distributed Cube Tangible Interface based on Interaction Range for Sound Design

Economy & Finance