Networked Orchestra
What are expected with toys that create sound? With this project, I wanted to explore how a designer can create a unique experience when musical instruments have been around as long as people have. With the help of technology and networks, I wanted to create an orchestra that was somewhat familiar and new to the user at the same time.
How can people know the functions of my instruments without having seen it before?
User test #1: After mapping out questions and ideas I wanted to explore in this project, I had conducted a probe with printed images of different types of fruite. I asked people to pick and perform how they would use fruites as a stringed instrument, a flute, a shaker, and a drum. This experiment gave me an idea of what qualities, shapes, textures, and their previous knowledge about the fruits affect the way they may approach my designed sound toy. I had decided to get insight from the creativity of my test subjects to develop the form of my toy.
The form: Per my probe, I then came up with an idea to make abstract-shaped objects. With some hints on the objects, people would ideally be able to understand how the objects
are supposed to be played.
The interaction: What if these networked instruments would affect other instruments when played?
(from left to right)
1. objects are not activated
2. one object is activated and it sends out signals to other objects to join network
3. another object joins the network and sends signals to other objects
4. the remaining objects join the network and the end result creates an orchestra
* The instruments would be networked, which means they can be far away or close by, making the experience different in each scenario.
User test #2: User testing with 2 objects in temporary forms
Observations:
- People understood how the shaker worked, immediately.
- Not knowing that the microphone sensor was not yet inside the balloon,
Austin tries different ways of interacting with a sound toy.
- Hye Mi understood that the light sound was not caused by the big object,
but that another small object was "whispering" to it.
The Twist:
Although I had designed the objects to create two sound output per instrument, since the speakers where attached to the object itself, the microphone sensor picked up sound from the speaker in the same toy and the wii remote picked up the motion of the bass-enhanced speaker.
* The object on the left has a microphone sensor and a speaker, and the object on the right has a Wii remote and a speaker. The Wii remote is being controlled with OSCulator and the microphone sensor is controlled with the Make Controller.
User test #3
Observations:
The shapes communicate the function and speaker/input device location more successfully. The user knows how to use the toys and constantly listens to the speakers.
Future direction:
#1: What if the starting toy defined the "genre" of the orchestral composition?
#2: What if these objects had a gravitational pull in terms of sound?
#3: What if the volume of the sounds changed according to the intensity of the action and the pitch of the sounds changed according to the directions the objects were pointing at?
The video below was a reference suggestion I got when I expressed to a friend that I wanted the sound of the objects to synchronize with the gestures more.
(MIT Media Lab "Digital Baton")
How can people know the functions of my instruments without having seen it before?
User test #1: After mapping out questions and ideas I wanted to explore in this project, I had conducted a probe with printed images of different types of fruite. I asked people to pick and perform how they would use fruites as a stringed instrument, a flute, a shaker, and a drum. This experiment gave me an idea of what qualities, shapes, textures, and their previous knowledge about the fruits affect the way they may approach my designed sound toy. I had decided to get insight from the creativity of my test subjects to develop the form of my toy.
The form: Per my probe, I then came up with an idea to make abstract-shaped objects. With some hints on the objects, people would ideally be able to understand how the objects
are supposed to be played.
The interaction: What if these networked instruments would affect other instruments when played?
(from left to right)
1. objects are not activated
2. one object is activated and it sends out signals to other objects to join network
3. another object joins the network and sends signals to other objects
4. the remaining objects join the network and the end result creates an orchestra
* The instruments would be networked, which means they can be far away or close by, making the experience different in each scenario.
User test #2: User testing with 2 objects in temporary forms
Observations:
- People understood how the shaker worked, immediately.
- Not knowing that the microphone sensor was not yet inside the balloon,
Austin tries different ways of interacting with a sound toy.
- Hye Mi understood that the light sound was not caused by the big object,
but that another small object was "whispering" to it.
The Twist:
Although I had designed the objects to create two sound output per instrument, since the speakers where attached to the object itself, the microphone sensor picked up sound from the speaker in the same toy and the wii remote picked up the motion of the bass-enhanced speaker.
* The object on the left has a microphone sensor and a speaker, and the object on the right has a Wii remote and a speaker. The Wii remote is being controlled with OSCulator and the microphone sensor is controlled with the Make Controller.
User test #3
Observations:
The shapes communicate the function and speaker/input device location more successfully. The user knows how to use the toys and constantly listens to the speakers.
Future direction:
#1: What if the starting toy defined the "genre" of the orchestral composition?
#2: What if these objects had a gravitational pull in terms of sound?
#3: What if the volume of the sounds changed according to the intensity of the action and the pitch of the sounds changed according to the directions the objects were pointing at?
The video below was a reference suggestion I got when I expressed to a friend that I wanted the sound of the objects to synchronize with the gestures more.
(MIT Media Lab "Digital Baton")