Titulo Estágio
Interactive Soundscapes in Mobile Playful Contexts
Local do Estágio
Interactive Media Lab (CISUC)
Enquadramento
Game Sound Design is an area we have invested significantly in the past years having developed a Pattern Language for Sound Design in Games (www.soundingames.com).
Sound Design is a hard task in sequential media like cinema. In digital games it is made even harder by the fact that sound composition needs to be considered in the interactive context that is open to redefinition by player actions. Current engine support for sound mostly focus on sound reproduction and mixing techniques, considering 3D virtual positioning, the specificity of several sound sources as well as effects that change over time. Game programmers need to manually control each sound source, setting its play timing and modifications according to what is happening in the game scenario.
Sound Design is a technique that focus at a higher level and considers which sound elements serve each semantic purpose, as well as how these should be combined to produce desired effects.
Soundscape design involves a set of concepts and methodologies that try to support an ecological perspective of sound design in context and has been the foundation for developing an innovative sound engine prototype for game audio. In this project we intent to develop further this sound engine to support and test a set of heuristics for managing dynamic soundscapes in interactive
Objetivo
The main goal of this project is the prototyping extension of our soundscape composition engine with the implementation and testing of a set of heuristics for soundscape composition, to be played using mobile devices (smartphones/tablets) while the user walks around interacting with a game-like experience. We will test the concept in the context of composing soundscapes to be explored while walking through heritage sites.
This project follows a Design Research approach, with the following outcomes:
a) definition of a set of soundscape composition/management heuristics;
b) porting our current prototype and implementation of the heuristics set;
building a demo interactive scenario to validate the heuristics’ results;
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 1
This project follows a Design Research approach.
A1. (M1-M3) State of the art research - research and document the relevant SoA, publications and software review, for the study of the problem at hand;
A2. (M2 - M3) Detailed proposal - detailed characterization of the problem to be solved, stating goals and requirements, quality attributes, assumptions and milestones for the project;
A3. (M4 - M5) Initial Design - performing technology tests, porting current prototype, initial design of the new user interface model
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 2
A4. (M6 - M10) Prototyping - implementation and testing of a working prototype, tuning or corrections based on evaluation results
A5. (M9) Evaluation - definition of evaluation criteria and method, performance or evaluation and analysis of results
A6. (M9 - M10) Statement of Learning - production of paper/thesis with process report and reflection on knowledge production
Condições
You must have
1. Interest in Research.
2. Undeterred availability.
3. Technical capacity to prototype or the will to learn fast.
Observações
Challenging lab environment, guidance and technical support, plus any materials needed that we can pay for. We aim to financially support any activities to publish/exhibit your work at relevant international events.
Orientador
Licinio Gomes Roque
lir@dei.uc.pt 📩