AudioCubes: a Distributed Cube Tangible Interface based on Interaction Range for Sound Design Bert Schiettecatte 1,2 , Jean Vanderdonckt 2 1 Percussa Inc., Mere (Belgium), bert@percussa.com 2 Belgian Lab. of Computer-Human Interaction (BCHI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) [email_address]

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

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

Motivations Accessability 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 ...

Accessability of professional music and sound tools today

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

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)‏

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

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

Example configurations One vs many inputs, one vs. many outputs Cubes used as sound generator – location and orientation changes parameters AND global behaviour

One vs many inputs, one vs. many outputs

Interaction range of AudioCubes Regulated by angle (φ), minimum range (r min =0.5 cm), and maximum range (r max =50 cm) Coupling two AudioCubes s 1 s 2 φ 1 φ 2 r 1min r 1max r 2min r 2max

Regulated by angle (φ), minimum range (r min =0.5 cm), and maximum range (r max =50 cm)

Coupling two AudioCubes

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

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

Techniques used

Paper prototyping

Hand soldering, glueing

Various rapid prototyping techniques, laser cutting

AudioCubes Evaluation User observation camera and cube table with amplification at the MUHKA museum Audiocubes connect to table amplifier through audio cables 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 ... camera amplifier inputs 1 2 3 4 5 6 Micro- phone input Audio Output jack

AudioCubes Evaluation 4 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?

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?

Conclusion AudioCubes 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 :

Parameters and behaviour change at the same time

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”

AudioCubes users in Education Berklee College of Music (USA)‏ KnowledgeXtensions, Inc (USA)‏ Watch That Sound (Netherlands)‏ Pantalone (Belgium)‏ AudioCubes users in Research Saint 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 workshops V2, Rotterdam Vancouver New Music & Video In/Out, Vancouver Vooruit, Ghent

Berklee College of Music (USA)‏

KnowledgeXtensions, Inc (USA)‏

Watch That Sound (Netherlands)‏

Pantalone (Belgium)‏

Saint 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)‏

V2, Rotterdam

Vancouver New Music & Video In/Out, Vancouver

Vooruit, 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.cc European excellence network on Multimodal User Interfaces