Interactive 2: Final Presentation Documentation

MEMORIES OF SOUND

Bao Song Yu & Zhou Yang


This is the video documentation for our final project presentation. We were glad that it invoked responses from the people that were watching the interaction happening between the installation and its participant. Many people were taking videos and photos of the participant’s actions. This was the ideal scenario we wanted to achieve. The interaction between the installation and the participant and another form of interaction between the bystanders and the participants.

Interactive 2: Final Project Documentation

MEMORIES OF SOUND

Bao Song Yu & Zhou Yang



Memories of sound is an interactive sound installation that explores the relevance of sound in triggering human memories and experiences. We hope to understand and explore the connection that humans have with sound.

The users will be wearing colored bands on their hands which serve as the trigger points of the interaction. The movements of the colored bands will be detected by an external camera that is linked with the Max 7 patch. It will prompt changes in the audio output supplied to the users through the headphone. The change in the audio will allows the users to experience different sound context. We hope that this will trigger their personal interpretation of the sound available to them.

Interactive 2: Documentation and Progress VII

MEMORIES OF SOUND

Bao Song Yu & Zhou Yang


We tried testing our interactive installation at the concrete wall. Initially we used light sticks as the light source. We took screenshot of the colors of the light stick and got their values on Photoshop. We input the values into Max so it can detect the colors. However, once we were in the open area, the camera cannot detect the light stick. It was because the light source from the open affected the readings. In the end, we used colored paper instead. 

It was fun testing out the installation ourselves. Through the testing we determined the optimum distance the person had to stand from the camera in order for patch to work. We also tested out different combinations of sound to understand how it will affects the user trying out the installation. We just hope it will not rain on the day of the final presentation. 

Interactive 2: Documentation and Progress VI

MEMORIES OF SOUND

Bao Song Yu & Zhou Yang


The following are the screenshots for the patch we did for our interactive installation. 

The following is the video documentation of us trying out the Max patch. We used light sticks and several colored materials to test out the patch. 

The main issue for our patch is the webcam not detecting the colors at times. Therefore, it was quite frustrating as we were not sure at times if it was the fault of the patch or the fault of the camera. To put an end to our problem, we borrowed an external webcam that is more reliable, so the detection rate of the colors is more consistent. 

Interactive 2: Documentation and Progress III

After much discussion and refinement, we have decided to create a cave experience through the use of audio in a dark room setting. A confined dark room is a perfect metaphor for a cave. Each participant will be given light sticks to placed on both his/her ankles. These light sources served as trackers for the cameras put in the room to trigger cave related sounds through the notion of walking around the space. We feel that it will be interesting to explore the interaction of people with a place when the element of sight is cut off from them. We are planning to have additional cameras set up to allow the people outside the installation space to view the interaction happening inside the space. This is to allow participation from the people outside the installation space. 

Referencing sounds:

Interactive 2: Documentation and Progress I

THE PURPOSE OF SOUND

For our project, we are looking into experimenting with sound. We feel that sound is an interesting element that we constantly overlook due to its abundance existence in our life. As sound is a non visual element, We feel that it is a favorable circumstance for us to use our other senses other that our sight which we so depend on, to feel and appreciate the spaces around us. In the process, we hope to gain fresh realization on our reaction of sound by our body. Therefore, we want to use this opportunity to have an interaction with sound free of any outside distraction. We want to find out about the significance of sound and its purpose in our daily life.  

The following are some videos that give a rough idea on the type of interaction we are looking into and hope to achieve.