NIME 2022 Demo - Spatial Vibrations

Spatial Vibrations is a physical interface that one rests their arm on, feeling vibrations from different points. It posits itself at the intersection of haptic audio and spatial and acousmatic music. It aims to break down barriers of hearing to spatial music through the use of haptic audio and no heard sound.

This interface was created along with a series of works designed to be more inclusive of hard of hearing and d/Deaf audiences. Tis research saw the development of the spatial compositional strategies of ‘imagined localization’ (exhibited in the work Still Moving), ‘static spatialization’, and ‘haptic spatialization’ (seen in Spatial Vibrations).

Haptics have historically been utilised in a variety of musical contexts to approach accessibility issues for hard of hearing and d/Deaf audiences. Spatial Vibrations expands upon this history by utilising accessible haptic methods in a spatial and acousmatic music content through the exploration of spatial compositional methods in a haptic audio context.

The interface was designed with four surface transducers. The transducers vibrate separate from one another, where the participant feels the vibrations at different positions on their arm. The design of the interface allows for explorations of acousmatic gesture both vertically, across the four transducers, and statically, placing acousmatic gestural movement in individual transducers.

User interviews with two hard of hearing composers were completed about their experience of the interface seeing one respondent say that the interface “removed the [barriers of hearing] entirely from [my] experience”. All composers answered “yes” when asked if they were able to engage with the work spatially, and “yes” to whether they thought they were able to engage with the work equal to those who are not hard of hearing. They also said “no” when asked if they felt their spatial experience of the work was hindered by them being hard of hearing.

There are opportunities for further research testing the efficacy of the interface with larger sample sizes and more range of types of hearing.

Based on user interviews with hard of hearing composers, Spatial Vibrations is suggested to successfully break down barriers of participation for hard of hearing and d/Deaf audiences to spatial music, encouraging a more diverse and inclusive field.