Swoop

What it does

Swoop is a new and accessible way of learning and creating music. Using hand movement, it enables the user to create, feel and learn music both individually and in group settings. Swoop aids in helping to bridge the gap between traditional and digital music.

Your inspiration

Having a younger sibling with Dyslexia and seeing how over time they lost their initial love for music due to its inaccessibility led to my researching the possible reasons for this. Music education has been proven to aid in phonetic discrimination and identification, and is endorsed by education authorities. Initially, my research focused on making music learning easier for those with Dyslexia, Dysmusia, Dysgraphia. However, I realised the real issue was that early learners weren't taught to engage creatively in music practice. My goal then shifted to developing a means to better engage early learners in foundational music practices.

How it works

The product system enables learners to engage with music concepts transferrable to traditional music learning. It functions using 3 axes of movement: - X Axis (Octave Displacement): Moving the hand left and right shifts the octave, mimicking guitar or piano movements. The accompanying parameter app controls the number of octaves. - Y Axis (Note Pitch): Moving hands left and right transitions between seven notes, with the left hand for lower and the right for higher notes, mimicking a traditional music stave. - Z Axis (Volume Variation): Moving hands forward and back adjusts volume, teaching sound intensity through pressure. The product includes 2 gloves with embedded haptic motors These motors provide haptic feedback relative to the note and volume intensity and aid gesture recognition software in distinguishing the user's hand from the background. all works in tandem with a companion app allowing the user to change parameters based on their experience.

Design process

I began by conducting interviews with users who were both affected by visual learning difficulties and those unaffected. I also interviewed former users who had fallen out of practice and enquired as to why this was and how they feel the learning experience could be improved for a prolonged engagement cycle. I also sat in on practice sessions with these musicians to see how their learning hacks influenced the way they played. After creating a design guide of my need to haves and nice to haves, I began ideating potential solutions to this problem area. Solutions ranged from wildly expressive to uniformly simple. I then brought my three main concepts to my user group and discussed each one's efficacy and adherence to the design guide. My user group ranked the product area of "Music & Space" the highest and so I began development. Using a Kinect and TouchDesigner I was able to create a virtual prototype that could track the user's hand movements and output sound based on object collision. I experimented with a variety of parameters and note spectrum densities. I then added in gesture recognition as a means for advanced users to continue their learning. Throughout the user testing I assessed the intuitiveness of each gesture until it matched the general user's preconceptions.

How it is different

other products out there are either patchwork or gimmick solutions to the current issue. They function off being visually interesting but leave little for the user to explore after a few hours of use. When it comes down to it, accessibility to music is really a money centric issue. Most instruments cost over €100 and the lesson material about half as much. With my product the technology is already established and cheaply available while still being reliable. With an estimated cost of around €80 my product seeks to be monetarily accessible while also engaging the user in the three key focuses: Sight, Sound & Sensation. A key sticking point of development was to ensure the user always felt like their actions had purpose. By strengthening the user's link to the music through Sight, Sound & Sensation, we enable a more cohesive understanding and expression of music and it's principles. Ensuring that music is accessible to all, no matter the differences is key.

Future plans

I aim to use the current prototype to jumpstart future user testing and development, refining Swoop for optimal use and affordable manufacturing. I also aim to ensure Swoop adheres to current sustainability guidelines throughout development, including right to repair and end of life disposal. I plan to create a fully functional prototype and collaborate with music teachers to integrate Swoop into classrooms be this through structured lessons or gamified teaching. Additionally, I intend to make parts of Swoop open source to encourage other creative minds to expand on my idea, enhancing self-expression and accessibility.

Awards