Blog

Music of The Spheres in the Masters of Arts 2010

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.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

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.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

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)