Nora Bakke + Andreas Djupvik + Julie Marzano Frey + Elise Breivik Jacobsen + Tobias Wulvik

2. klasse // Prototyping av interaktive media - TPD4126

The goal of this project was to create an interactive model (with music as the theme) for the Rockheim museum. The target audience was children and youth. The interactive model should arouse curiosity, be fun to use, and teach children about music / sound. The model had to be robust and should be easy to re-start / reset. It was desirable to avoid screen as the main element of interaction. Starting with another prototype after inspiration from videos online, we desired to illustrate the sound image through laser, and adjusted through a user panel with turning knobs. Using sound vibrations from the sound source and "absorbing" it using laser and mirrors, we designed a dancing laser beam on the wall. Initially, we used three tone generators connected to a speaker with a balloon threaded on the front of the speaker element. A mirror was glued on in the center of this surface, with a laser shining on it. When the speaker produced sound, the laser beam bounced back and forward creating a messy pattern. When three specific frequencies (pitches) were played simultaneously in such a way that a major chord was produced, the laser created an ordered and calm (but still moving) pattern. Each turning knob consisted of 369 steps (from 131-500Hz), and where 24 of these steps was chords that could create a major chord. In total, 24 different major chords (“correct” combinations) could be made with the three knobs. The correct combinations were illustrated by green light from a 24 pcs led-ring encircling the knobs. Weak yellow color indicated other possible combinations for major chords, and blue light indicated that the knob was placed in between two frequencies. Sound got produced by a python script on raspberry pi, and a modified sinus curve was played using PyAudio. These frequencies were sent to the Arduino as strings, and new sinus curves was created and played. The rotation sensors and led rings were controlled using Arduino Uno.