Gesture-Controlled Interaction with Aesthetic Information Sonification

Information representation in augmented and virtual reality systems, and social physical (building) spaces can enhance the efficacy of interacting with and assimilating abstract, non-visual data. Sanification is the process of automatically generated real time information representation. There is a gap in our implementation and knowledge of auditory display systems used to enhance interaction in virtual and augmented reality. This paper addresses that gap by examining methodologies for mapping socio-spatial data to spatialised sanification manipulated with gestural controllers. This is a system of interactive knowledge representation that completes the human integration loop, enabling the user to interact with and manipulate data using 3D spatial gesture and 3D auditory display. Benefits include 1) added immersion in an augmented or virtual reality interface; 2) auditory display avoids visual overload in visually-saturated processes such as designing, evacuation in emergencies, flying aircraft; computer gaming; and 3) bi-modal or auditory representation, due to its time-based character, facilitates cognition of complex information

Sonic Islands: Sound and Responsiveness Extending the Dimensions of Space

Designing space is an activity for all the senses, This chapter unpacks multidimensional designing, new ways to think.of designing architectures and spaces using sound and interaction (or responsiveness) as additional dimensions in negotiating and experiencing spaceand hence in its conception. Islands are unique and exciting.This discussion raises three different possibilities for integrating the sonic and interactive potential of space to elaborate the essence of the Urban Island

From Audience to Inhabitant: Interaction as a medium in architecture

This paper presents a framework for conceiving and implementing interaction as a medium in architecture. Architecture is the theoretical and practical art of creating a plan of a complex object or system in which the subjective mapping from a human perspective to components of the system is the core design focus. Traditional architectural design involves the specification of materials, which implement creative expression in the mediums of space, light and time. Interaction, or the reciprocal action between a human and another entity, is the basic medium of expression manipulated by the interactive artist. The aim of the paper is to outline a logical framework for considering the techniques and materials of interaction, as used in interactive art, in the context of architecture. The framework is a four-part collection of interlinking concepts that we established to define i. architecture, ii. medium, iii. interaction, and iv. interaction as a medium in architecture. Following, the implications for implementation of the framework are discussed, based on works by several hybrid artist-architects. The framework is an analytical ground point to base practice and research occurring in this emerging field of spatio-experiential design

Concurrent Auditory Stream Discrimination in Auditory Graphing

This paper is concerned with enhancing human computer interaction and communication in concurrent streams of auditory display. Auditory display or auditory graphing is the sonic representation of numerical data (the auditory equivalent of visualization). It provides an additional channel for information representation, in which a participant 's response may be more intuitive and immediate than (visual) graphical display. but auditory graph design requires understanding and multi-disci plinary investigatio n of listening due to instantaneous characteristics of sound. Our aims are to explore (I) the impact of spatial separation for a divided attention task and (2) the efficiency of timbre (tone color) to assist pitch contour identification. Our findings about timbral and spatial discrimination are scalable and useful for auditory display in a wide variety of contexts. The results provide empirical evidence for a further investigat ion of spatialization and timbre and contribute to applications within an auditory display context for real-world scenarios (e.g. social, statistical and other datasets likely to be encountered in the workplace)

Interactive Polymedia Pixel and Protocol for Collaborative creative content generation on urban digital media displays

This research is an investigation into a creative and technical 'pixel' element that may facilitate Urban Digital Media, a field that inhabits the intersection between architecture, information and culture in the arena of technology and building. It asks how contemporary requirements of public space in our everyday life, such as adaptability, new modes of communication and transformative environments that offer flexibility for future needs and uses, can be addressed by a new form of public display, assembled through the use of an advanced pixel, described as an interactive Polymedia Pixel with situated media device protocol. The weakness of many current media facades for building-scale interactive installation environments lies in the dearth of quality creative content and unresponsiveness in terms of potential human factors, richness of locative situation and contextual interaction (Sauer, 2004). Media facades have evolved from simple 2D visual displays to 3D voxel arrays for depicting static and moving images with a spatial depth dimension (Haeusler, 2009). As a subsequent step in this development, the research investigates a display that reacts to the need for empathetic and responsive urban digital media; integrates multiple modalities; smart energy-saving; and collaborative community engagement. The Polymedia Pixel, which is presented in its research and development in this paper, contributes to the evolution of building-scale interactive installation environments. The paper firstly discusses the attributes of the Polymedia Pixel in order to address the above mentioned weaknesses of public displays. In responding to these necessities, the prototype of the developed Polymedia Pixel with its technology is outlined. The Polymedia Pixel reserach aims to addres

CD4+ Natural Regulatory T Cells Prevent Experimental Cerebral Malaria via CTLA-4 When Expanded In Vivo

Studies in malaria patients indicate that higher frequencies of peripheral blood CD4+ Foxp3+ CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells correlate with increased blood parasitemia. This observation implies that Treg cells impair pathogen clearance and thus may be detrimental to the host during infection. In C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA, depletion of Foxp3+ cells did not improve parasite control or disease outcome. In contrast, elevating frequencies of natural Treg cells in vivo using IL-2/anti-IL-2 complexes resulted in complete protection against severe disease. This protection was entirely dependent upon Foxp3+ cells and resulted in lower parasite biomass, impaired antigen-specific CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell responses that would normally promote parasite tissue sequestration in this model, and reduced recruitment of conventional T cells to the brain. Furthermore, Foxp3+ cell-mediated protection was dependent upon CTLA-4 but not IL-10. These data show that T cell-mediated parasite tissue sequestration can be reduced by regulatory T cells in a mouse model of malaria, thereby limiting malaria-induced immune pathology

Aesthetic Sonification Toolkit for Real-time Interaction with Data

This paper presents a new approach to aesthetic sonification framework to enable user interface customisation, aesthetic control and interaction with datasets. In particular it provides tools for real-time interaction with data in a number of configurations of pitch, modality, timbre, focusing on ergonomics of listening, aesthetics of sonification, and techniques of sound production for data analysis. Firstly we look at the role of the system and ways of thinking about information, secondly we review existing sonification frameworks to position our approach and finally explain our method

Spatialization and Timbre for Effective Auditory Graphing

Spatialization (spatial separation) and timbre are the two salient auditory attributes facilitating a better comprehension of sonification (non-speech auditory display).While directional cues provide obvious interpretable structure for auditory display, timbre provides semantic expression by highlighting identity of auditory stream. This paper aims to explore (1) the impact of spatial separation for a divided attention task and (2) the efficiency of timbre to assist contour identification. The observation was applied to auditory graphing, which can be used to represent a wide variety of numerical data sets. The results help provide empirical evidence, contribute to a further investigation of spatialization and timbre employed within an auditory display context of a real-world scenario (e.g. sonification of digitalized social data)

Wireless Gamelan: A Gestural Interactive Music Performance Environment

This paper presents a new approach for implementing RFID technology. Specifically, it provides a new kind of musical instrument or live music performance environment. Contextualised in performative interactive art installation, we discuss the technical and musical implementation of our gestural Virtual Gamelan as a vehicle for investigating embodied RFID technology, exploring user responses to the interface and the technology, issues of body culture, embodiment and Cyborgism