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| In Sonic City, a person's path through
the streets of a city becomes a musical composition – a soundscape
is created as a direct result of a user's state, actions, path through
the streets, the physical landscape, and activities nearby. We have
designed, implemented and evaluated a wearable prototype for exploring
user experience and musical interaction. |
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The prototype senses the user's context
and actions when walking through the city, maps this information to
the audio processing of live urban sounds in real time, and outputs
the resulting music through headphones. It is an open-ended platform
for iterative prototyping of sound content and musical interaction
that enables testing in real-world settings.
+ technology
platform
The sound content has been designed with the intention of keeping
a tight link between the urban and personal soundscape. In terms of
musical interaction, we have developed a mapping strategy connecting
sensor input to musical parameters on two levels: a low level of direct
interaction and sonic output, and a high level of general context
and musical structure. This mapping is transparent enough to be understandable,
yet complex enough to support improvisational expression and sustained
interest over time.
+ sound
design & mapping
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In order to determine how people
might use Sonic City in everyday life, we have conducted a short-term
user study with a variety of people using the prototype in their own
familiar environments. Focusing on considerations of musical performance,
embodied interaction as well as engagement and control, this study
helped us to understand how people approach Sonic City and interact
musically with the city, revealing emerging urban behaviours and music
creation processes integrated into everyday life.
+ user
study |
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