MoodBall

INSPIRATION: Our concept is generated from the theme of modulating music. We aim to create a novel way of music sharing which is physical and touchable for everyone. MoodBall is such an approach or we can say a music sharing instrument, providing a collaborative music playing experience. In the beginning, we decided to build a musical instrument public in a small area to a small group. We consider it is like a crystal ball connected with a speaker that allows people to share their favourite songs with others. Users can share songs through the crystal ball and touch the ball to get light feedback. The music will change notes, rhythm, or shift from monochord to chord through physical interaction. We tend to make two balls so that remote users can touch the ball and get music, lights and visual feedback simultaneously.

SOLUTIONS: The final product of the MoodBall adds emotion detection techniques. It is not merely a modulating music installation, but an emotion sharing device. We built the mood detection system to collect user’s emotion data through various interactions, playing relevant music and getting visual feedback, so as to share feelings through music, lights and visualizations (projector)). We choose to express feelings in a more subtle way -- through music, instead of language, because music is another language of emotion, representing different feelings and barges into the soul without limits or restrictions. Particularly, introverts are usually ashamed to express themselves through words, but music is a good way of imitating their emotions. They can tell a story and share how they “really feel” through music, which allows more people to “understand them”. Meanwhile, according to the user evaluation, we limited our domain space from public to personal places, such as households, and limited our target users as families, friends, and other people with close relationships.

Project Inspiration

The beginning of design exploration was related to the MoodBall project, which focused on physical computing experience in the aspect of Future Mundane: Novel Interactions for Near-Future Technologies. What I explored in the inspiration presentation was about mind detection, gestures, and movement interaction in the virtual voyage. Inspired by the cartoon Dokodemo, my concept was about an “Anywhere Door” with a brain sensor and a 3D projector, that can bring people to anywhere they want. While this was the initial idea without considering implementation and construction, it was just the reflection of my interest space for further exploration this semester.

Idea Generation

World café helped to generate our previous inspirations into various themes. While my first and second choice was virtual voyage and emotional expression, there were only four students interested in the first theme and many barriers would occur in the product construction for external students. Therefore, I was selected for the theme of modulating music. One interesting feature is our final product combined emotional expression with modulating music. More details can be found in Journal

Proposal Pitch

The proposal concept was a music-sharing device called CONNECTION that aims to bond social connection between individuals by allowing them to communicate with each other through music.

1. A modulating music installation (crystal ball)
2. With playful interaction that people can play together
3. Public in a small group
4. Two or more participants

Background Research

After proposal presentation, we went through the background research. In this process, our team conducted literature review for preparing conceptual foundation and technical support and qualitative research, including semi-structured interview for open-ended data collection, exploring participant thoughts, feelings and beliefs on emotion sharing through music.

Digital Prototype

This stage was to build the elementary function of the emotion detection system with music and lights feedback for user evaluation. The prototype was a combination of speaker, LED lights, pressure sensor and accelerometer gyroscope, installing in a transparent plastic ball. Due to the time limitation, remote interaction would be built in the next iteration. Here, I was responsible for video editing and documentation.

User Evaluation

In this stage, we conducted bodystroming to evaluate the main functions and interaction flows, collect information on users requirements, and obtain feedback on functions for improvement of the next iteration. According to the feedback, we found various interactions represent different emotions. So, we decided to detect users physical interaction in three parameters including heart rate, touch pressure and rotation rate, which can identify user’s four emotions including calm, happy, angry, energetic. Here, I focused on preparing the evaluation protocol, data collection and documentation.

Final Product

The final prototype was an iteration based on user evaluation. In this stage, we added GSR sensors to measure skin electrical conductance and to detect heart rate. The music feedback was improved that users could modulate music (tempo or melody) by changing the interaction approach, for example, from touching to pressing the ball. We also used unity to control the visualization from the projector based on users' emotion, so as to create more visual and playful feedback. Here, I was responsible for video editing, documentation and project website development.