AcouMotion

AcouMotion is a novel interactive sonification technique for Acoustic Motion Control: Body motions are captured in response to auditory stimuli to enable closed human-computer interaction loops for diverse applications, like

Auditory sports games,
Interactive sonification-based data exploration,
Motion training in rehabilitation,
Performance tests for audiomotor abilities in paralympic sports for people with visual impairment,
Cognitive research on motion and emotion.
Sonification research (e.g. to learn about saliency and attention)

Our current developments point as next step towards a novel audio-only sports game titled "Blindminton" which enables motivating and exhaustive sports games (not only) for blind players. The ball in this game only exists virtually in a computer simulation, yet its relative position to the players (resp. their handheld sensor-equipped objects that represent the 'rackets') is completely communicated via sonification, the non-speech auditory rendering of the simulation data. As first steps we have implemented a one-player version of Blindminton, where the ball is reflected by a virtual wall. We regard the perspectives of Blindminton as highly interesting, particularly since Blindminton allows us to control the level of difficulty (e.g. by giving the weaker player a larger virtual racket). This could be the key to enable engaging sports experience also for players at different levels, and thus mean a socially integrative function.

AcouMotion has been developed by Thomas Hermann, Oliver Höner and Helge Ritter. It is strongly related to a project funded by the German Federal Institute of Sport Science ("Sonifikationsbasierter Leistungstest", VF 07 04 SP 00 69 05) in which Oliver Höner and Thomas Hermann develop a goalball-specific performance test. Currently, this test is evaluated with the German international goalball players (i.e. the current female European Champion).

Dr. Thomas Hermann is computer scientist, and research assistant in the Neuroinformatics Group at Bielefeld University. His research is focussed on Sonification, Interactive Systems, and Datamining.
Dr. Oliver Höner is sport scientist, and assistant professor at the Institute of Sports Science at Mainz University. His research interests include anticipation and decision making in sport games, motivational aspects of adapted physical activities and the adoption of sport games and performance tests for people with visual impairments.

The project team includes furthermore several student workers from diverse disciplines such as physics, informatics, sport science or psychology, namely Arne Wulf, Felix Hagemann, Matthias Milczynski and Henning Pulg.

Project Publications

Oliver Höner, Thomas Hermann. Sonification-based Sport Games and Performance Tests in Adapted Physical Activity. contributed chapter to the 3rd book on Sound Gestures of ConGAS, submitted, to appear 2006
Hermann, T., Höner, O. & Ritter, H. (2006). AcouMotion - An Interactive Sonification System for Acoustic Motion Control. In S. Gibet, N. Courty & J.-F. Kamp (Eds.), Gesture in Human-Computer Interaction and Simulation [Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 3881] (pp. 312–323). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. [DOI 10.1007/11678816_35].
Oliver Höner, Thomas Hermann, Thomas Prokein. Entwicklung eines goalballspezifischen Leistungstests (Development of a goalball-specific performance test). In S. Würth, S. Panzer, J. Krug & D. Alfermann (Eds.), Sport in Europa, S. 331, Hamburg: Feldhaus, 2005
Oliver Höner, T. Hermann. “Listen to the ball!” – sonification-based sport games for people with visual impairment. IFAPA (Ed.), A.P.A.: a discipline, a profession, an attitude (Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium Adapted Physical Activity in Verona, Italy), 2005.
Oliver Höner, Thomas Hermann, (2005). Selbststeuerung im Sportspiel mittels interaktiver Sonifikation. In H. Seelig, W. Göhner & R. Fuchs (Hrsg.), Selbststeuerung im Sport (S. 55). Hamburg: Czwalina. [ISSN 1430-2225, ISBN 3 88020 449 7]
Hermann, T., Höner, O. & Ritter, H. (2004). Method for Controlling an Auditory Game and Associated Device. [Internationale Patentanmeldung WO 2006/037292 A1]

Sonifications, Sound and Interaction Examples

to be added...

AcouMotion for Goalball Performance Tests

In a current BISp funded research project we develop an interactive sonification-based performance test for auditory sensor-motor skills of Goalball players. Our test generates the sounds of an approaching goalball that we can control in every detail (a virtual ball throw engine). The player perceives the sound via headphones, using sound spatialization by an HRTF-approach. The head as well as the right hand are tracked by motion capturing using the Lukotronic system at convienient rate of 100 Hz and milimeter accuracy. The simulation and sonifications have been developed in Supercollider. The picture shows a previous setup with 5 speakers and the player with the handheld sensor. foto showing a test subject with the racket in front 5 loudspeakers used to represent the sonification.

foto showing a test subject with the racket in front 5 loudspeakers used to represent the sonification.

Links

modified 2006-04-19 by Thomas Hermann