Wearable Expressive Audio
Wearable to enhance musical accessibility for individuals interested in exploring and creating music without any rules.
Duration
3 month
Role
Solo
Overview
Enhancing musical accessibility and creativity through the development of two wearable devices. These devices are designed to empower individuals interested in exploring and creating music without adhering to predefined rules or limitations.
The first wearable device translates hand movements into music, offering users the ability to produce sound output through specific gestures. With four distinct modes, each associated with a unique set of MIDI notes, users can experiment and create music in various styles and tones.
The second wearable device complements the first by providing tactile feedback through inflation. As users interact with the first device and select different modes, the second device inflates accordingly, allowing wearers to physically sense and identify the corresponding sound being produced. This tactile feedback enhances users’ ability to recognise and differentiate between modes, further facilitating their musical exploration and expression.
How does it work?
The wearable has 5 modes and each mode plays different midi notes. Each mode is mapped by different X,Y and Z. So it makes to hard to recreate some of the same notes that makes it unique in a ways it will be different when anyone plays it. Once you went through the mode you will have an idea which mode and the positions have highest notes to lowest. My goal was it to make it easy for anyone to explore and create music.
Wearable design
Soft Robotics
For the second part of the project, I’m planning to create another wearable device that provides haptic feedback for different musical notes. While exploring options, I discovered soft robotics, which seems like a perfect fit for this idea. I want users to not just hear the notes but also feel them through tactile feedback.
The aim is to make it easy for users to understand and experience the different modes this wearable can offer. By using soft robotics, I think we can create a more immersive experience that helps users connect with music on a new level.
Exploration
- The first mold was too thick, requiring a significant amount of pressure to inflate. However, even with increased pressure, it still didn’t inflate properly. Therefore, it wasn’t suitable for being wearable, and it was also too heavy.
- When I printed out the second mold, I encountered a problem with some airways being stuck together. To solve this issue, I plan to make the first layer thinner, which will allow the circles to inflate more easily.
- To further improve the mold next time, I intend to print the front part thinner, which will make the circles more visible. As for the back part, I will print it the same way as last time. When assembling the mold, I will be very careful and may use a small paintbrush to evenly spread the liquid along the lines.
Challenges and Possibilities
Challenges and possibilities I encountered while working on this project were:
- Soft robotic reacting to the specific note: It is difficult to achieve real-time reaction to sound due to the need to identify the frequency of each music note. Determining the frequency for each note can be challenging. I need to keep my project concept in mind while tackling this issue.
- Making the soft robotic wearable: I had to consider how to make the soft robotic device wearable on the hand while placing the other sensor in the opposite hand.
3. Making the sensors wireless: Implementing wireless sensors would make it easier to move around as there would be no wires involved. This would enhance user-friendliness. - Designing the 3D model: I had to consider how to work with the material of the soft robotic, including the thickness and density of the silicone.
