Embedded Files
Project: Body Sample Player. Role: Instrument Designer and Engineer, Usablility redesigner, Programmer Duration: Spring 2019
The Body Sample Player
The Body Sample Player
is an application that uses a motion tracking device such as a kinect camera to track individual joint positions of a human body to control the volume of 8 different looping sound samples. It was originally created in a program called MAX/MSP, using various software solutions to interpret and scale data from the motion tracking device. The system creates a "neutral" body position where the performer is standing with hands at their sides and measuring the distance from the torso of the hands forward and to each side as well as elbows to each side and the height of each knee.
Because the original prototypes were designed quickly during the development of complex dance performances, there was little time to consider usability and accessibility of the system for general users. The purpose of this project was to re-design the system to make it easier for performers to setup and practice as well as makeing the performative goals more obvious and intuitive through the layout of the interface itself.
PERFORMANCES WITH THE BODY SAMPLE PLAYER
Remote Improvisation
Remote Improvisation
And She Will Sound The Alarm
And She Will Sound The Alarm
Rag: A Panhandle Sampler
Rag: A Panhandle Sampler
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
There are generally 2 ways in which the user interacts with the application.
First, the user must interact with the front-end interface to get the program to run. Once it is running, the program will recognize the first body to enter the camera frame as the first body. When it recognizes a body, the row of floating point numbers in the first row on the interface will begin to move in accordance with the joints.
Once a body is recognized and the sounds are reacting, then the performer interacts with the application as a performer using their body to mix the eight samples in juxtaposition with one another in the same way a dj would mix different samples to make a track. This can take quite a bit of training.
Ultimately, the perfomers became familiar with the interface and ideally learned to rely solely on auditory feedback while performing. This study attempts to improve the user experience for beginners in both the setup and performance of the system. To make these improvements, I came up wtih the following research questions.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
Visual Feedback
Visual Feedback
What visual feedback does a user need and what is the best way to display this feedback?
User Controls
User Controls
What tasks does the user need to complete to turn on sound and control the volume and what is the best way to lay out the controls and give the user proper feedback?
Unnecessary Controls
Unnecessary Controls
What aspects of the interface are no longer necessary and can be done away with for the current functionality?
Essential Functions
Essential Functions
What are the most essential functions of the interface and application that need to be included in a new design?
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse