MOTION PLAYER
A gesture-controlled music player.
PROCESS
Interaction Design
Rapid Prototyping:
C++
Leap Motion
Unity
Arduino
Servo Motors
DATE
Feb 2019 - Mar 2019
PARTNERS
Created as part of the Intentional Interactions module run by Arthur Carabott and Guillaume Couche.
Guest Lecturer: Durrel Bishop
“Great to see a Leap Motion used for an out of screen experience”
— Guillaume Couche, Design Director at Wolf in Motion
OVERVIEW
What if you could “conduct” your music player like a conductor directs an orchestra? Motion Player is a music player interface which uses hand gestures to control the dynamic elements of your music. The player combines hardware sensors that detect different hand gestures, these are then used as commands to control your library of music. Visual feedback is also provided for commands through the use of a micro-controller and a series of servo motors.
The prototype was produced in two days as part of the Intentional Interactions module in Global Innovation Design.
Visualisation of feathers flowing in response to a Conductors movement
INSIGHT & OPPORTUNITY
Current technological interfaces for “smart speakers” in the home are now primarily controlled by voice. Although these have obvious benefits for accessibility; constant demands being shouted at a device can induce noise pollution in the home. In addition, such speakers create a sense of detachment between users and the textural complexities of the music they’re listening to. As an avid music listener, how can we more actively engage with the music we’re listening to?
Motion Player seeks to actively engage people in the music they’re listening to, providing an experiential way to experience sound. Through breaking down the different elements of musical compositions, the device enables control of sound, bass, treble and much more through hand-gestures which are performed in a manner reminiscent of a conductor.
Visualisation of Motion Player in a home setting
PROCESS & OUTCOME
Prototyping used C++ to combine Leap Motion, Unity and Arduino. The working prototype demonstrated above only illustrates the control of volume and track. As the working time for this project was two days and with the limited sensors available - the prototype demonstrated in the video is merely an indication to the interaction that would be encountered if further prototyping and user testing were carried out.
The feathers of the physical interface flow as an extension of your movement providing visual feedback from your action. The interface of each controller is reminiscent of a traditional turn table – reimagined for the home environment in a tactile design.
ABOUT INTENTIONAL INTERACTIONS
“We decided to design a custom £10 kit robot that each student is asked to assemble on the first day of the module: With it, we teach them how to build simple behaviours and interactions through a very hands-on series of workshops using our own physical/digital interface based on Unity + Arduino.”