Fall 2024

Aria

Aria is a wearable, touch-free instrument that generates sound and visuals from head movement. This project was a tangible example of product design. We created a 3D mockup of a proposed design, and a fully-functioning Arduino-based prototype.

My main responsibility was putting together the hardware that we could plug into TouchDesigner.

View Project Deck

Concept Sketches

This project focused on accessibility related to music, so we could only use facial gestures—no hands, no arms. To brainstorm, my group came up with a list of ideas, did sketch sprints, and compared concepts. We opted for one of my ideas: a wearable headpiece-instrument.

aria sketch 1 aria sketch 2

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Building the Arduino

This project was my first time ever working with hardware, so I began by researching various Arduino boards and how they work, as well as what additional pieces we would need and how those work. The New Media Design program at RIT already had a selection of Arduino Unos, so I searched specifically for Uno-compatible parts.

Fuctionality

Our device had to serve two main functions:

  1. tracking jaw movement (open/close)
  2. tracking head movement (nodding/shaking)
Parts

So I figured out two sensors that fit our needs:

  1. rotary/shaft encoder: tracks absolute or incremental angular movement of the axle
  2. inertial measurement unit (IMU): multi-axis accelerometer and gyroscope; tracks translational and rotational movement

We managed to get the parts ordered, assembled, and functioning in less than a week.

arduino picture sensor picture soldering the arduino

I even had the opportunity to learn to solder, as the accelerometer pins came separately from the board. I managed to get it connected and functioning in my first try!

While one of my teammates was mainly responsible for the software side of teh Arduino, I also helped with the mathematical/structural logic behind the C++ code: we kept track of how much position (in the accelerometer) and rotation (in the rotary encoder) deviated from the original neutral position, and scaled those values to work within the corresponding TouchDesigner ranges.

Prototype Video

This is footage of our functional, fully Arduino'd prototype, side by side with the live-reactive sound and art produced in TouchDesigner. Our logo design also came from a frame of the generative art.

Make sure your sound is up!

aria logo