Overview
A peripheral device used in conjunction with Blackberry Smart-phones for the purpose of facilitating location-based physical interaction through the use of audio/visual cues and emotional responses to sound and music.
General Context
As part of the 4th year Major project, RIM has decided to work with the Location-Based Communications group as a means of researching “Generation Y” (those between ages 16 and 30), and developing a suitable location-based device around their current needs. The rapid acceleration and subsequent adoption of the digital world has ultimately rendered traditional means of face-to-face communication somewhat useless. Even while together in the Physical realm, friends will congregate in person, but often remove themselves mentally from the physical group in order to communicate with those same individuals, or those who are absent, via their handheld devices.
Focal Context & Design Opportunity
While Social Networking is a large component of this project, the aspect of digital entertainment is also of particular interest. Specifically, the audio and subsequent visualization of such audio will be the main focus. Music, especially, has become a large factor of self-expression and acceptance among Gen-Y and with websites and services like MySpace and iTunes, respectively, music is now more accessible to the global market than ever before. And, there is no wonder since Music, or sound in general, is so finely integrated with emotion and cognition. As Daniel Levitin (2006) writes, “We know through culture and experience that music is not threatening, and our cognitive system interprets these violations as a source of pleasure and amusement….When we love a piece of music, it reminds us of other music we have heard, and it activates memory traces of emotional times in our lives.” Further to this, for generalized sources of sound, Evelyn Glennie spoke at a recent TED talk about how sound is our “daily medicine” and that it needs to be felt through the whole body as if it were a resonating chamber (2009). In other words, she suggests that music must not only be listened to through our ears, but through our other senses as well. Consequently, this brings on a very emotional aspect that has very often been ignored in current mobile communication devices like the Blackberry. The device itself may produce some sort of emotional response, but the actual auditory component is never usually exploited to its fullest potential. Furthermore, taking note of the on-going persistence of auditory features in handheld devices and online social mediums, audio-based interactions have yet to be established in conjunction with Location-Based services as a further means of connecting people either physically, emotionally, or sensorially with the mobile auditory features in handheld devices and online social mediums, audio-based interactions have yet to be established in conjunction device and members of their social network.
Specifications
The proposed solution is a peripheral device that:
- Wirelessly integrates with Blackberry handheld devices [ using RFID, or Bluetooth ]
- Makes use of the built-in GPS of the Blackberry handheld device as well as RFIDs to facilitate face-to-face communication between the user and their extended social network
- Provides an overall experience that provides auditory and visual feedback, is memorable, interactive and Communicatory
- Shares the sensorial feedback with other members in the user’s social network
- Can be used in Indoor and Outdoor environments, optimized for mobility
- Is small, lightweight, and portable since there is not a lot of space on the body to store devices other than the commonly used MP3 Player, and the cellphone (Blackberry)
- Is designed for disassembly, and uses environmentally-friendly plastics, wiring and metals (no chrome)
- Uses ecologically-responsible power generation (powered by the user, or rechargeable Li-Ion batteries)
- Will likely communicate with other such peripheral devices based on proximity
- Delivers a visual representation of sound, through waveform or color
References
Levitin, Daniel J.. This is Your Brain on Music. New York: First Plume Printing, 2006.
Glennie, Evelyn. "Evelyn Glennie Shows How To Listen." TED. Available from
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/evelyn_glennie_shows_how_to_listen.html. Internet; accessed 24 Nov. 2009.
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