Monday, February 12, 2007
Gender sounds
RESEARCH AGENDA
+ SOUND
We will begin with investigating sound as the main input for our system.
+ PROCESSING
We will explore ways that the sound can be analyzed and processed into various output conditions.
+ SOCIAL AGENDA
Using pitch difference between male and female voices in the hopes of creating a gender based material response, with the possibility of a gradient of reactions between both extremes.
+ MOVEMENT
We will create architecture that will have a range of movements responsive to the processed sound input. Our research will also investigate ways to register the output through responsive materials in a vertical membrane.
+ REALIZATION
You will hear it. You will see it. It will be built. By us.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
PROCESSING
We are focusing on processing as a way to analyze sound into potential output conditions. We believe that processing has the potential to increase the variables and therefore the complexity of the output.
The materials we need for this research are microphone (sound sensing device), an arduino board (processor), MAX/MSP or Processing (software), and flexinol (output). The responsive material may be some sort of fabric or cast polymer.
Specifically we will be using MAX/MSP to process the sound input. Several MSP externals (such as ones that measure pitch, loudness, brightness, etc.) will allow us to create an architecture that will respond to users according to the make-up of their voices. This could potentially have implications for user identification according to gender, age, mental state and social interaction, and could be read on an individual or group basis (?).
SOCIAL
We believe that our research into processing can contribute to the complexity of the relationship between input and output, in our case between sound and movement.
PROTOTYPE #1
INPUT:
USB Microphone
PROCESSING:
Sony Vaio Laptop Computer
MAX/MSP Software
Arduino Board
OUTPUT:
Output circuit to flexinol wire
RESOURCES
Arduino USB Board SKU#: Arduino-USB Price: $31.95 Buy Online: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=666
http://www.arduino.cc/
http://www.cycling74.com/
http://processing.org/
http://web.media.mit.edu/~tristan/maxmsp.html
http://www.wired.com
http://tigoe.net/intro.shtml
http://tigoe.net/pcomp/resources/
http://www.dynalloy.com/
http://www.lalena.com/audio/electronics/color/
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php
http://www.allelectronics.com/
