Proxima

An Introduction

In which the proximity and orientation of the visitors is used to modulate sound and or visual fields.

A simple system where an observer either automated or real person quantifies first order variables that is used to modulate sound, or visual elements

For performers and or visitors Who can be 1 or more of each role

• Producer
• Visitor
• Observer

1st order

• Proximity
• Orientation
• Motion
• Direction

2nd order

• If of 1 – one self in orientation with self over time
• If of 2 with each other
• If of more
• If correlated
• If uncorrelated
• Where correlation is duration of pose or pattern
• Reward stillness
• Of standing, kneeling, prone, or pose

Of implementation

Gallery or theatre

Sensors 

Visual 

acoustic

Visitors are lent tokens to aid observation

Tokens may be visual or acoustic.. a tennis ball, a clicker, an object, a gesture, a UWB beacon, Imu. 

The token can be supplied by producer or from the visitor as deined by the producer.

Seed Ideas

Initial seed of the idea of Proxima is to develop locations specific hybrid virtual and physical acoustic work.  The virtual aspect of the work is to develop a location specific audio web application. The physical aspect is the creation of a small number of physical sound sculptures to be positioned at outdoor and or indoor locations to be determined around the RPI campus.  We would then use techniques developed for other venues. The virtual aspect of the work  entails developing a similarly small number of virtual objects that are acoustically accessible via a smart phone at a specific location. Using the web app, the listener can hear the composition unfold based on paths and proximity and orientation to the objects and other listeners in a shared acoustic space.  

The back end of the web app will include modulation over time based on the listening paths of the shared experience of the participants.  

We can include not only the position information from the GPS of a listener but also orientation (compass) and gestures from the  accelerometer on the listeners phones.  Participants would contribute not only their listening paths but also gestural and orientation data. For example, two participants facing each other at a specific location over a period of time and stillness will allow acoustic nuances of the work to be revealed. 

One of the core ideas of the work is the idea is the modulation of the soundscape based on shared proximity of the participants in location relative to the position of the physical acoustic objects.

The physical objects will be simple acoustic devices borrowing from wind chimes, aeolian harps, resonance surfaces and materials, acoustic plumbing.  The virtual objects are likely a combination of recordings, real time processing and synthesis.  

RPI resources would be used to develop the Javascript web app.  Requires JS and backend coding skills (Python, node.js or other), familiarity with sound and sensor API’s (accelerometer, compass, GPS) and necessary related security certificate for secure access to smart phone for the URL for the app.  QR code is used to allow listeners to easily access the work on their own devices.  

The work can exist at various levels of scale. GPS for campus wide and other mechanisms may be of interest indoors and within locations within a room.  

We’ll address not only the acoustic composition development but also the implications to privacy, options of anonymous vs. shared identity. 

I would likely explore the use of convolution reverbs as means of sound modification.  Opportunity for instance is to have a different resonant filter for the North, East, South and West approach to a real or hybrid object. This would borrow from the extensive library of impulses gathered from the Rainforest project.