Sonic Interaction Design

Sonic Interaction Design (COST Action IC0601)

 

Thinking back to Edison's phonograph or, more recently, to the mp3 craze, one may well say that music has been a driving factor for technology in general, and for the development of the broadband society in particular. But, can the same be said for non-musical sounds as well? To date, non-musical sounds have been accepted as by-products of technologies rather than being exploited for their intrinsic value. Now times are mature to think about sound as one of the main design dimensions of the environments in which we live and work, with and without the mediation of information networks. That means overcoming the sound-as-noise cultural barrier and promoting a sound-as-information attitude. This tendency is already visible in the market where new products (e.g., the Nintendo Wii) exploit the tight coupling between sound and gesture in interaction. The same trends have manifested in the performing arts for many years. Designing the sonic appearance of interactive systems is thus becoming a competitive issue as well as a lively playground, which nevertheless depends on knowledge that has grown in several interrelated fields of research and practice. The relevant areas of research have grown in significance, both as a result of the design needs associated to improving the sonic jungles we are increasingly confronted with, and as economies of scale and miniaturization have contributed to a widening array of interactive artifacts and systems that are embedded with ever more sophisticated computing, sensing and actuating capabilities.

The Special Strand is organized about four invited presentations by European researchers of the Management Committee of the COST-IC0601 Action on Sonic Interaction Design. The four presentations will address the following issues:

 

-         how can information be conveyed by using interactive sound, and what are promising applications for the broadband society?

-         how can sound be exploited in modern education, where technology, creativity, context, and evaluation should be properly combined?

-         how can design methodologies engage interdisciplinary collaboration for shaping sonic interactions in everyday life?

-         can we envisage new networked platforms for active, experience-centric, and context-aware active music listening?

 

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