My home university is now University of Tampere in the unit of TAUCHI, which is an abbreviation of Tampere Unit for Computer-Human Interaction. I think good news are meant to be shared. Therefore, here is a post representing my research plan’s abstract and artistic statement.

Matti Luhtala’s PhD research plan – Abstract and artistic statement

Poster

On below is our poster presented at the NIME 2011. Thank you all who visited me at the poster spot. It was great to share inspiring discussions with you.

Poster presented at the NIME 2011: Designing a Music Performance Space for Persons with Intellectual Learning Disabilities

You may also watch a concept and research video from here.

Music Creation Tool: Research and concept video

Research Context and Working Group

This research has been conducted in the context of Eureka/ITEA DIYSE (Do It Yourself Smart Experiences) -project

VTT, Human Technology Interaction for Wellbeing team

- Johan Plomp (concept design, team leader)
- Matti Luhtala (concept design, sound design, programming
and product management)
- Tiina Kymäläinen (usability testing)
- Timo Urhemaa (programming)

Designing Music Performance Space for Persons with Intellectual Learning Disabilities

Music of the Spheres (or MOTS) installation was presented in the Masters of Arts 2010. The MOTS is production part of my master’s thesis for Aalto University School of Art and Design – department of Media in the unit of Media Lab. MOA 2010 took place near Senaatintori in May 12 th to June 16 th 2010. Once a year arranged the Masters of Arts exhibition is a celebration as well as a tour de force of the new Masters. Masters of Arts is the collective effort of the graduating generation to make visible the richness of ideas and the creative energy of the whole Aalto University School of Art and Design.

Masters of Arts 2010: Music of the Spheres poster.

Music of the Spheres is an experimental playing environment that allows multiple users of all ages to play and interact simultaneously. The environment consists of a tabletop projection screen and external audio speakers present dynamic multimedia when producing sounds and music. Users can interact with the system using different geometric shaped blocks as tangible interfaces.

The interactive environment consists of a tabletop projection screen and external speakers that present dynamic multimedia when producing music and sounds. Users can interact with the system using different geometric shaped blocks as tangible interfaces. The written part reflects the background research, prototyping and realization outcomes to existing interaction design, prototyping and embodied design paradigms.

Resulting interaction design

The metaphor for the interaction in the Music of the Spheres is closely related to the act of gardening and growing flowers. Using tangible objects, users can create kaleidoscopic geometric shaped flowers and explore poly-rhythmic sound patterns. While playing with Music of the Spheres the users aim is to take care for and nourish the garden in order for plants and the music to grow. Using the tangible objects users are able to create kaleidoscopic geometrically shaped flowers and to explore the poly-rhythmic sound patterns. You may look at the ending result of the interaction from the following video.
[See post to watch Flash video]
Resulting interaction design: screen capture of the MOTS.

Players create the audio visual output by placing the tangible objects on the table. In the video are represented three larger flower objects, seeds and and one smaller note object. The three larger flower objects are are mapped to the geometric shaped tangible objects. When the table is on idle state the flowers are in their nests. When a tangible block is grasped and put on the table, a corresponding flower travels under the block. When the user moves the block the flower follows it with a spring visual effect. As soon as two or more of the blocks are on the table flower visuals and sounds can be produced. By facing the tangible objects together users can create smaller flowers that produce sounds through collaborative composition process. The note is also represented with small visual flower that continues pulsating together with the sound.

The Music of the Spheres installation nowadays placed in the Helsinki Kindergarten Museum. The museum offers plenty of other activities for children. Excellent place to visit.

Working group

Matti Luhtala (concept design, sound design, electronics design, programming and product management)
Daniel Vester (Physical model concept design, 3D modeling and physical construction supervisor)
Anna Salmi (visual designer and interaction design consultant)

Audio Graffiti Project

Audio Graffiti project was developed in Roland Cahen‘s sound art workshop held at Sibelius Academy Finland, department of Computer Music and Technology in September 2009. The concept and design was realized together with Jari Suominen.

Concept

Audio graffiti project consists of multiple audio graffiti units which user can place freely in chosen public urban or rural environment. The Audio graffiti project aims at researching what kinds of possibilities individual – as a sound environment co-inhabitant – has for affecting surrounding sound environment.

The project aims to follow Graffiti Research Lab’s philosophy – to explore how technology can contribute to street art and urban communication and empower individuals to creatively alter and reclaim their surroundings. The project aims to provide an easy step DIY manual for low cost open source Audio graffiti’s. The only requirement is that the person has a basic knowledge of electricity. The audio graffiti consists of piezo speaker, required oscillators, amplifiers and other electric components and solar panel. Shaped schematic can be made of conductive tape or paint.

The audio graffiti can be used as sole or user can place multiple units. Placement of the units in relation to each other depends only on the user. The assumption for this project is that different environments will benefit from various new kinds of sound outputs. We hypothesize that in this way the spatial experience can be more recognizable, aesthetic and joy full.

Workshop Outcomes

At the end of the workshop the outcomes were represented in an old railroad tunnel. Through the works invited visitors were able to redefine the previously forbidden space – aesthetic acoustic works, creating an ambiguous affect indeed.

For creating your own Audio Graffiti you need the following components

- Copper tape
- Foil tape
- Electronic components (please see schematic for more information)
- Sun shine

Our graffiti schematic is based on Ralf Schreiber‘s Solar Sound Module schematic design. For adapting it to our needs we designed schematic in a form of Pablo Picasso’s Dove. The dove’s shape was done with a paper template. To be able to attach electronic components we used conductive copper and foil tape. Copper tape with conductive glue is good for this purpose. Just tape and go. On below is our initial plan for making the shape. Schematic shape taped on the wall was slightly different than the initial plan.

Audio graffiti bird schematic and references

And this is how it might sound if suitable lighting conditions are available (an example by Ralf Schreiber):

The on-going project is partly Matti Luhtala’s MA in Sound in New Media thesis work to University of Art and Design Helsinki, Media Lab. The Music of the Spheres physical installation construction is developed together with Daniel Vester from Industrial design department. Anna Salmi is part of the project as a visual designer. The final outcome of the Music of The Spheres will be situated in the Kindergarten Museum in Helsinki.

Story and illustration by Anna Salmi

Initial idea of the concept is to represent soldier troops movements during the war in 1600′s in Turku and Marttila surroundings. Information visualization is realized using 64 animated led lights. Through the installation, the user can examine different phases of the war and listen to sound scape of the happenings.

Sorminus Napsimus

Cloud Instrument