773 research outputs found

    Reflections on an Experiment, Evaluating the Impact of Spatialisation on Exploration

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    This paper reports on an experiment designed to evaluate whether visualising a digital library (using a spatialisation technique) can influence exploratory search behaviour. In the experiment we asked participants to complete a set of novel tasks using one of two interfaces - a visualisation interface, ExploViz, and its search-based equivalent, LibSearch. A set of measures were used to capture sensemaking and exploratory behaviour and to analyse cognitive load. As results were non-significant, we reflect upon the design of the experiment, consider possible issues and suggest how these could be addressed in future iterations

    HyperBody: An Experimental VR Game Exploring the Cosmotechnics of Game Fandom through a Posthumanist Lens

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    Interdependencies among ACGN (Anime, Comics, Games, and Novels) communities in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are growing. However, game studies and fan studies remain distinct disciplines. This cross-disciplinary thesis bridges this gap by investigating "game-fandom" practices in VR production, defined as the fusion of game and fan studies within the ACGN context. Drawing from Yuk Hui's "cosmotechnics" and Karen Barad's posthumanist perspective, this research reconsiders the relationship between cosmology, morality, and technology (Hui 2017). It employs "intra-action" to emphasise the indivisible, dynamic relations among specified objects (Barad 2007). Cultural practices in C-pop idol groups, Chinese BL (Boys' Love) novels, science fiction, and modding communities are analysed, illuminating the ACGN fandom's cultural, technological, and affective dimensions. This work features the creation, description, and evaluation of an experimental VR game, "HyperBody", which integrates the written thesis by reflecting game-fandom's cosmotechnics and intra-actions. The thesis offers two significant contributions: "queer tuning", a theory illuminating new cultural, technological, and affective turns within fandom and computational art, and a "diffractive" approach, forming a methodological framework for posthuman performative contexts. This diffractive framework enables practical contributions such as creating and describing experimental VR productions using the sound engine. It also highlights a thorough evaluation approach reconciling quantitative and qualitative methods in VR production analysis, investigating affective experiences, and exploring how users engage creatively with queer VR gamespaces. These contributions foster interdisciplinary collaboration among VR, game design, architecture, and fandom studies, underscoring the inextricable link among ethics, ontology, and epistemology, culminating in a proposed ethico-onto-epistem-ological framework

    Design and evaluation of a web-and mobile-based binaural audio platform for cultural heritage

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    PlugSonic is a suite of web- and mobile-based applications for the curation and experience of 3D interactive soundscapes and sonic narratives in the cultural heritage context. It was developed as part of the PLUGGY EU project (Pluggable Social Platform for Heritage Awareness and Participation) and consists of two main applications: PlugSonic Sample, to edit and apply audio effects, and PlugSonic Soundscape, to create and experience 3D soundscapes for headphones playback. The audio processing within PlugSonic is based on the Web Audio API and the 3D Tune-In Toolkit, while the mobile exploration of soundscapes in a physical space is obtained using Apple’s ARKit. The main goal of PlugSonic is technology democratisation; PlugSonic users-whether cultural institutions or citizens-are all given the instruments needed to create, process and experience 3D soundscapes and sonic narratives; without the need for specific devices, external tools (software and/or hardware), specialised knowledge or custom development. The aims of this paper are to present the design and development choices, the user involvement processes as well as a final evaluation conducted with inexperienced users on three tasks (creation, curation and experience), demonstrating how PlugSonic is indeed a simple, effective, yet powerful tool

    Assessing social sustainability for achieving sustainable architecture

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    Sustainability is an inherent urban and architectural problem. It is simultaneously characterized by many different dimensions, pursuing heterogeneous and often conflicting objectives. To help address these complexities in a structured way, this paper illustrates an integrated assessment framework to tackle social sustainability, in order to support the decision-making process towards sustainable architecture. This integrated decision support framework was applied to a case study concerning a new cultural centre at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy. The aim of this paper is to propose a decision support methodological framework for the analysis, graphical visualization and evaluation of social sustainability of architectural projects. It combines three methods first, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis, to get a guided understanding of the project and detect the best design strategies; second, the Stakeholder Analysis (SA), to develop a strategic view of the actors involved; third, the Social Return of the Investment (SROI) as a methodological tool for social impact assessment. This framework, presented through the discussion of some project solutions, helps us analyse the architectural material effect of social sustainability and answer the question: Are we investing properly and creating spaces sufficiently functional to build better conditions for our community and our city

    Gestural Control Of Wavefield synthesis

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    Binaural virtual auditory display for music discovery and recommendation

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    Emerging patterns in audio consumption present renewed opportunity for searching or navigating music via spatial audio interfaces. This thesis examines the potential benefits and considerations for using binaural audio as the sole or principal output interface in a music browsing system. Three areas of enquiry are addressed. Specific advantages and constraints in spatial display of music tracks are explored in preliminary work. A voice-led binaural music discovery prototype is shown to offer a contrasting interactive experience compared to a mono smartspeaker. Results suggest that touch or gestural interaction may be more conducive input modes in the former case. The limit of three binaurally spatialised streams is identified from separate data as a usability threshold for simultaneous presentation of tracks, with no evident advantages derived from visual prompts to aid source discrimination or localisation. The challenge of implementing personalised binaural rendering for end-users of a mobile system is addressed in detail. A custom framework for assessing head-related transfer function (HRTF) selection is applied to data from an approach using 2D rendering on a personal computer. That HRTF selection method is developed to encompass 3D rendering on a mobile device. Evaluation against the same criteria shows encouraging results in reliability, validity, usability and efficiency. Computational analysis of a novel approach for low-cost, real-time, head-tracked binaural rendering demonstrates measurable advantages compared to first order virtual Ambisonics. Further perceptual evaluation establishes working parameters for interactive auditory display use cases. In summation, the renderer and identified tolerances are deployed with a method for synthesised, parametric 3D reverberation (developed through related research) in a final prototype for mobile immersive playlist editing. Task-oriented comparison with a graphical interface reveals high levels of usability and engagement, plus some evidence of enhanced flow state when using the eyes-free binaural system

    Foley music: an exploration of the relationships between sound design and 'music' in film

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    A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Music Johannesburg 2016Recently, scholarly work in the field of film sound design has emphasised the crucial significance of sound in film. Writers such as Mark Underwood (2008), Larry Sider (2003) and Danijela Kulezic-Wilson (2008) have expressed the view that film sound design ought to be approached from a musical perspective substantiating this position through analytical discussions on the relatively musical use of sound design in scenes from films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) and Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream (2000). Building upon the work of these and other scholars, this thesis investigates the varying ways in which music and foley sound design relate and interact within a film seeking to categorise with some specificity the various ways in which foley sound design can ascend beyond its ordinary remit and in so doing function in lieu of film music as well as in cooperation with it. I consider examples from, amongst others, The Godfather, parts one (1972) and two (1974) by Francis Ford Coppola and The Matrix (1999) by Ana and Lana Wachowski. In each chapter of part one of the thesis (which I call Take 1), I explore a particular aspect of the way in which foley makes known its capacity to function quasi-musically. Chapter one looks at Walter Murch’s concept of the metaphoric use of sound and how, through this technique, foley sound can be applied so as to fulfil roles more accustomed to film music in its stead. Chapter two details some of the ways in which film music and foley interact within a film. A crucial element of this discussion is the on going debate between scholars such as Michel Chion who disavow the existence of a soundtrack and others such as Rick Altman who contradict Chion on this matter. Chapter three looks at how otherworldly diegetic contexts help to encourage creativity in designing and applying foley sounds so as to further enhance its pre-discussed ability to act in film music’s stead while chapter four focuses on the voice as the soloist within the melee of sounds that constitute the film soundtrack. Part two (or Take 2) of the thesis consists of compositions written in response to some of the theories and concepts explored in the first part of the thesis including a ‘dramatic string quartet’ in which I attempt to realise in a musical composition some of the ideas discussed in all four of the chapters. I conclude the thesis by reflecting on the main insights uncovered throughout the thesis in addition to reflecting on the process of composing the pieces in relation to the relative success of the performances thereof.GR201

    Immersivity in Music Performance with Original Compositions

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    The aim of this study is to critically investigate immersivity in music performance. It will evaluate how the combination of the performance space, musical material and delivery methods can produce unique and valuable sonic experiences to an audience. This investigative process hopes to highlight what compositional and spatial characteristics define this performance paradigm, with the goal to provide a taxonomy of key characteristics which creators must consider when devising an immersive music performance

    Intonaspacio : comprehensive study on the conception and design of digital musical instruments : interaction between space and musical gesture

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    Site-specific art understands that the place where the artwork is presented cannot be excluded from the artwork itself. The completion of the work is only achieved when the artwork and place intersect. Acoustically, sound presents a natural relation with place. The perception of sound is the result of place modulation on its spectral content, likewise perception of place is dependent on the sound content of that place. Even so, the number of sound artworks where place has a primary role is still very reduced. We thus purpose to create a tool to compose inherently place-specific sounds. Inherently because the sound is the result of the interaction between place and performer. Place because is the concept that is closer to human perception and of the idea of intimacy. Along this thesis we suggest that this interaction can be mediated by a digital musical instrument - Intonaspacio, that allows the performer to compose place-specific sounds and control it. In the rst part we describe the process of construction and design of Intonaspacio - how to access the sound present in the place, what gestures to measure, what sensors to use and where to place them, what mapping to design in order to compose place-speci c sound. We start by suggesting two di erent mappings to combine place and sound, where we look at di erent approaches on how to excite the structural sound of the place, i.e., the resonant frequencies. The rst one, uses a process where the performer can record a sample of sound ambiance and reproduce it, creating a feedback loop that excites at each iteration the resonances of the room. The second approach suggest a method where the input sound is analyzed and an ensemble of the frequencies of the place with the highest amplitudes is extracted. These are mapped to control several parameters of sound e ects. To evaluate Intonaspacio we conducted an experiment with participants who played the instrument during several trial sessions. The analysis of this experiment led us to propose a third mapping that combines the previous mappings. The second part of the thesis intends to create the conditions to give longevity to Intonaspacio. Starting from the premise that a musical instrument to be classi ed as such needs to have a dedicated instrumental technique and repertoire. These two conditions were achieved first, by suggesting a gestural vocabulary of the idiomatic gestures of Intonaspacio based on direct observation of the most repeated gestures of the participants of our experiment. Second, by collaborating with two composers whom wrote two pieces for Intonaspacio.A arte situada é uma disciplina artística tradicionalmente ligada a Instalação que pretende criar obras que mantêm uma relação directa com o espaço onde são apresentadas. A obra de arte não pode assim ser separada desse mesmo espaço sem perder o significado inicial. O som pelas suas características físicas reflecte naturalmente o espaço onde foi emitido, isto é, a percepção que temos de um som resulta da combinação do som directo com as reflecções do mesmo no espaço (cujo tempo e amplitude est~ao directamente relacionados com a arquitectura do espaço). Nesta lógica a arte sonora seria aquela que mais directamente procuraria compôr som situado. No entanto, o espaço é raramente utilizado como fen omeno criativo intencional. Nesse sentido, o trabalho aqui apresentado propõem-se a investigar a possibiliade de criar sons situados. O termo Espaço está muitas vezes associado a algo de dimensões vastas e ilimitadas. Assim sendo e na óptica da arte situada, onde h a uma necessidade de criar uma relação, parece-nos que lugar é um termo mais adequado para enquadrar o nosso trabalho de investigação. O lugar, para além de representar um espaço onde se podem estabelecer relações de intimidade (proximidade), apresenta dimensões que são moldáveis consoante a percepcção e o corpo humano. Ou seja, o Homem ao deslocar-se no lugar vai ao mesmo tempo de nindo as fronteiras desse mesmo lugar. Esta visão do lugar aparece no final do século dezanove quando a filosofia começa a orientar o pensamento para uma visão mais direccionada para o Homem e para a percepcção humana. O lugar passa então a representar algo que e estabelecido na acção e pela percepcção humana, onde e possível estabelecer relações de intimidade, ao contrário dos não-lugares (sítios mais ou menos descaracterizados onde as pessoas estão só de passagem). Re-adaptámos por isso a nossa questão inicial não só para realçar esta ideia de lugar mas também para reflectir uma bi-direccionalidade perceptiva que é fulcral para a arte situada - como criar e controlar sons inerentemente localizados? Inerentemente porque para existir de facto uma interacção entre lugar e obra de arte sonora são necessárias duas condições: por um lado o som possa provocar uma resposta do lugar, e por outro, o lugar possa modificar a nossa percepcção dele mesmo. A existência de uma relação interactiva abre espaço a um novo ponto que não tinhámos considerado anteriormente e que acrescentámos a nossa nova questão, o controlo. Propomos como possível reposta a esta questão a construção de um instrumento musical digital, o Intonaspacio, que servir a de mediador desta interacção e que possibilitará ao performer a criação e o controlo de sons localizados. Primeiro poque o instrumento musical possibilita o aumento das capacidades humanas, através da extensão do corpo humano (tal como um garfo extende a nossa mão, por exemplo). Segundo, porque o instrumento musical digital pelas suas características, nomeadamente pela separação entre o sistema de controlo e o sistema de geração de som abre novas possibilidades sonoras antes excluídas por limitações mecâncias ou humanas. Podemos por isso visionar um acesso mais alargado a novas dimensões espaciais e temporais. Esta tese está dividida em duas partes, na primeira parte descrevemos a construção do Intonaspacio, e na segunda estabelecemos as bases para permitir a sua longevidade. A primeira parte começa por investigar formas de acesso ao som do lugar, composto pelo conjunto dos sons ambiente e dos sons estruturais do lugar (ressonâncias próprias resultantes da arquitectura). Pensamos que uma das possíveis formas de compôr sons localizados e precisamente através da possibilidade de poder ter os sons ambiente a gerar e a amplificar os sons estruturais. Surgem então duas novas questões de natureza técnica: Como integrar o som ambiente na obra sonora em tempo-real? Como permitir que estes excitem a resposta do espaço? Para as responder desenhámos dois mapeamentos diferentes. Um primeiro em que o performer pode gravar pequenos trechos de som ambiente que são emitidos e re-gravados criando um ciclo de feedback que excita as ressonâncias do lugar. Um segundo método onde se faz uma análise espectral ao som captado e se extrai um conjunto de frequências cujas amplitudes são as mais elevadas. Estas são posteriormente utilizadas para controlar parâmetros de vários efeitos sonoros. Colocámos ainda no instrumento um conjunto de sensores diferentes para captar o gesto do performer. Estes estão localizados em diferentes areas do esqueleto do instrumento de modo a permitir areas sensíveis maiores e consequentemente um maior n umero de graus de liberdade ao performer. Neste momento o Intonaspacio permite extrair cerca de 17 características diferentes, agrupadas em três secções - orientação, impacto e distância. Estas podem ser utilizadas para modelar o som gerado pelo instrumento através dos diferentes mapeamentos. Ambas as propostas de mapeamento foram avaliadas por um conjunto de pessoas durante um teste de utilização do Intonaspacio. Os resultados deste permitiram-nos chegar a uma terceira sugestão de mapeamento onde combinamos características de ambas as propostas anteriores. No terceiro mapeamento mantém-se a análise ao som captado pelo instrumento mas a informação recolhida e usada como material sonoro de um algoritmo de síntese aditiva. A segunda parte da tese parte de uma premissa estabelecida durante o trabalho realizado nesta tese. Um instrumento musical deve possuir uma técnica instrumental própria e um repertório dedicado para que seja considerado enquanto tal. Neste sentido e com base na observação directa dos gestos mais comuns entre participantes do nosso estudo, propusémos um vocabulário gestual dos gestos idiomáticos do Intonaspacio, ou seja, dos gestos que dependem exclusivamente da forma do próprio instrumento e da localização dos sensores na estrutura do instrumento (zonas sensíveis) e são independentes do mapeamento. Colaborámos ainda com dois compositores que escreveram duas peças musicais para o Intonaspacio. O Intonaspacio revelou ser um instrumento complexo e expressivo que possibilita aos performers incluir o lugar enquanto parâmetro criativo, no entanto apresenta ainda alguns problemas de controlo. No primeiro mapeamento, embora a integração do lugar seja sentida como mais directa e apresentando resultados sonoros mais interessantes (de acordo com os participantes do estudo), a sensação de controlo é muito baixa. Já no segundo mapeamento, embora tenha um controlo mais fácil, a presença do lugar é muito subtil e pouco perceptível. Esperamos que o terceiro mapeamento venha contribuir para solucionar este problema e aumentar o interesse no instrumento, principalmente por parte dos compositores com quem colaborámos e iremos colaborar no futuro

    An investigation of eyes-free spatial auditory interfaces for mobile devices: supporting multitasking and location-based information

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    Auditory interfaces offer a solution to the problem of effective eyes-free mobile interactions. However, a problem with audio, as opposed to visual displays, is dealing with multiple simultaneous information streams. Spatial audio can be used to differentiate between different streams by locating them into separate spatial auditory streams. In this thesis, we consider which spatial audio designs might be the most effective for supporting multiple auditory streams and the impact such spatialisation might have on the users' cognitive load. An investigation is carried out to explore the extent to which 3D audio can be effectively incorporated into mobile auditory interfaces to offer users eyes-free interaction for both multitasking and accessing location-based information. Following a successful calibration of the 3D audio controls on the mobile device of choice for this work (the Nokia N95 8GB), a systematic evaluationof 3D audio techniques is reported in the experimental chapters of this thesis which considered the effects of multitasking, multi-level displays, as well as differences between egocentric and exocentric designs. One experiment investigates the implementation and evaluation of a number of different spatial (egocentric) and non-spatial audio techniques for supporting eyes-free mobile multitasking that included spatial minimisation. The efficiency and usability of these techniques was evaluated under varying cognitive load. This evaluation showed an important interaction between cognitive load and the method used to present multiple auditory streams. The spatial minimisation technique offered an effective means of presenting and interacting with multiple auditory streams simultaneously in a selective-attention task (low cognitive load) but it was not as effective in a divided-attention task (high cognitive load), in which the interaction benefited significantly from the interruption of one of the stream. Two further experiments examine a location-based approach to supporting multiple information streams in a realistic eyes-free mobile environment. An initial case study was conducted in an outdoor mobile audio-augmented exploratory environment that allowed for the analysis and description of user behaviour in a purely exploratory environment. 3D audio was found to be an effective technique to disambiguate multiple sound sources in a mobile exploratory environment and to provide a more engaging and immersive experience as well as encouraging an exploratory behaviour. A second study extended the work of the previous case study by evaluating a number of complex multi-level spatial auditory displays that enabled interaction with multiple location-based information in an indoor mobile audio-augmented exploratory environment. It was found that a consistent exocentric design across levels failed to reduce workload or increase user satisfaction, so this design was widely rejected by users. However, the rest of spatial auditory displays tested in this study encouraged an exploratory behaviour similar to that described in the previous case study, here further characterised by increased user satisfaction and low perceived workload
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