TouchTunes
Cooperative audio installation, designed as part of NYU ITP's Summer Camp. 2019.
The goal of TouchTunes was to create an interactive, communal music-making experience, in addition to trying out some new tech, namely: projection mapping and conductive paint.
A circular canvas was coated in 8 spots with conductive paint, that were tied to an Arduino Touchboard, filtering the inputs through to Unity. When touched, the spots trigger the creation of a floating polygon with an accompanying synthetic sound, somewhere along the C# scale. The polygons float until they collide with one another, at which point they once again emit their sound, and display a particle effect to signify the end of their timeline.
The experience was programmed in Unity, but projection mapped onto the canvas from above through MadMapper. Users tap the controls on the canvas, and watch as the polygons appear from beneath their fingers.
An overhead view with better light. Each of the 8 polygons had a matching painted counterpart, onto which they were projected, to visualize their starting location through their trigger.
A short (unfortunately portrait) video demonstrating the sounds and interactions. The polygons produce sounds twice, once at creation and again upon collision.
Retrospective
Looking back and looking ahead
I hope to explore this area of miniature installations more. Despite the size of our project, and what ultimately felt like a simple idea when boiled down, our players seemed to truly enjoy their time. I think there is something purely fun about these somewhat goofy interactive experiences, and I''m eager to expand upon that.
TouchTunes
Team credits
Team Member — Zach Dorsett
Team Member — Vivian Allum
Program — NYU ITP Summer Camp
Let's Chat
Right now, I’m a Senior UX Lead for Dotdash Meredith's food vertical, while mentoring new and aspriring UX Designers on the side through ADPList.
However, I’m always happy to hear about new opportunities, meet potential collaborators, or simply grab a cup of coffee. Learn more about me, and reach out anytime. ☻
Copyright © 2022 Zach Dorsett