Sonar Voyage – Conclusion

 

It is clear from my research that there is a definite market for a product like, Sonar Voyage, within the music therapy area which could cross over in to community music, music education etc.

 

What I have created is a successful prototype for a piece of music technology suited to the area of music therapy, however there is much more development, research and testing which must take place before this product is complete and marketable.

 

From my research I gathered information such as, music therapist do not use music technology in practice’s much as would be expected, in fact on average 7.5% of music therapist use or have used music technology, some of the reasons for this low percentage are, difficulty in using technology, it is to complicated or looks to intimidating, like it may be broken if you use it in the wrong way. It is expensive, time consuming to learn how to use it, a lot of the technology for the area is big therefore not transportable & storage becomes an issue. No training is provided or it is provided at a very high cost, there is no support or updates when the technology breaks or gets old.

 

I feel Sonar Voyage covers many of these areas successfully, it is small & light weight therefore easy to transport and store. Most music technology within music therapy cost from £1000 up wards however the ultra sonar costs less then £100 to make and could be sold on for around £150 which would make it the cheapest product in the area. Sonar Voyage works using a USB connect so all that is needed to run it is a computer, meaning no extra equipment is needed. It can also be plugged straight into the computer to begin using it, no other buttons etc are used. Sonar Voyage’s software is simple and easy to use, with minimal buttons to press before the Sonar Voyage begins to work. The software is straight forward to use however if the user does get stuck and need help there is a help button on the bottom of the application with instructions on what to do, there is also a instruction manual on the installation disk which has more in-depth information.

 

Whilst the Sonar Voyage seems to tick the right boxes for its area of need, it still requires user testing within the area, by therapists, teachers etc and also clients who may suffer from disabilities or perhaps emotional difficulties, to ensure that Sonar Voyage is useable for its audience. The user testing carried out so far was on young, technologically minded, musicians who were able bodied which does not cover our target audience. What we did learn from the user testing carried out is that Sonar Voyage does install a want to move forward in order to get away from the ‘fear’ sound and to hear the ‘reward’ sound.

 

Other feedback received during user testing was that the sensor seems to jump around meaning that the ‘fear’ sound is often triggered unexpectedly and loudly which is off putting, this is something which needs to be looked into in the future. There may be a way that this could be smoothed out using Max MSP so that when the sensor does jump it does not trigger the sound, however if this cannot be done we may need to look into higher quality sensor, this will of course increase the cost of Sonar Voyage.

 

Other things which need to be looked into further are, the robustness of Sonar Voyage, will it hold up in a environment where it may be dropped & moved around etc. Whilst the prototype of Sonar Voyage is quite pleasing, the interface needs to look and feel more robust this will also make the product look more professional.

 

What I am interested in to looking into for the future is creating multiple small & relatively cheap to produce & sell on interface’s each offering a different experience during music therapy, education etc. I would also like to look into music technology training course specifically run for the area’s of music therapy, education & the community as from my research this is also something which is required. I would be interested in tying in the interfaces I create with training with a key purpose to be affordable & useable.

 

User Testing

User testing proved quite difficult as I do not currently have access or was able to contact anyone in the short period of time from my cliental market eg. Therapist, teachers etc, or people who may use this software for rehabilitation. I did however carry out 2 types of testing, one for the interface and one for the software. Below is footage from these tests:

 

 

 

From user testing I have gathered information about my product, such as, the software is easy to use when it is in context and looks appealing and simple. The interface requires different sounds for each user, it is unlikely that the sample library will be able to provide sounds for each user, sounds should be acquired from other sample library’s also. The sensor is glitchy and sometimes jogs creating a loud burst of sound, the sensor works better on a higher area of the body so placement is crucial.

 

Further user testing specifically within the area of music therapy and education is required to gain more accurate information upon the benefits and disadvantages of this product.

 

I did however manage to speak to someone who has previously suffered from leg disabilities and has undergone rehabilitation, unfortunately they were unable to partake in user testing due to location, but gave me feedback via a phone call. When the idea was explain to them they feedback,

 

‘Would have given a greater idea of progress rather then relying solely on other people feedback which may be in accurate due to them wanting to be encouraging.’

‘The use of sound would work on the mind and the body’

‘I used to go swimming to measure my stamina this equipment would have allowed me another means to measure my progress.’

‘It would be good if you could increase the range of the sensor as your stamina improves’

I can take this feedback and ideas on as I progress this product for my 3rd year piece.

Sonar Voyage – Instruction Manual

Sonar Voyage

The Movement Journey

 

Instruction Manual

Welcome to Sonar Voyage

Sonar Voyage is a musical interface made as an aid to help people with mobility problems, whilst helping them to face their fears. It can be used as motivation for exercise by adding a sense of achievement and reward to moving, it can also take away pain which may be experienced whilst moving by giving the client sounds to focus on.

 

What Sonar Voyage Contains

1 Blue hardware interface box

1 USB cable attach to interface box

1 Installation disk (containing Sonar Voyage Software, Instruction Manual & Sample Library)

How Does It Work?

Sonar Voyage is an ultra sonic interface; the ultra sonic sensor within the interface (labelled below) detects movement up to 2 meters away.

The soft ware which can be found and installed on this installation disk, allows the user to load the sensor with 2 sounds the first sound, a sound which the client fears or does not like for example a dog barking, is loudest when the client is further away.

As the client moves closer to the sensor the fear sound begins to fade and is replaced with a second sound, a reward sound which the client likes for example rain.

This use of sound encourages movement for the client, and the more the client moves the more they are rewarded with a sound they like.

Sonar Voyage also allows clients to document their progress using the progression graph and the volume of sound heard.

 

How to Use Sonar Voyage…

Installation

1. Insert installation disk found inside your Sonar Voyage package.

2. Disk should open automatically when found by the computer. If disk does not open click on disk sign.

3. In the folder opened by the disk you will find, Instruction Manuel, Sample Library and Sonar Voyage.

4. Drag Sonar Voyage on to desktop.

5. Sonar Voyage is now installed, double click to open.

 

Hardware Interface

1.Plug in USB cable from blue interface box to computer.

2.Ensure that round black sensor is facing towards the client.

3.The sensor works best when it is facing towards an empty place, this will ensure minimum interference.

Ensure blue hardware interface is plugged in before opening software.

 

Software

1. Begin by opening fear sound by pressing the orange open button on the left hand side of the application. You can use the sample fear sounds, found in sample library on the installation disk, or you may prefer using your own samples. This sound will loop automatically and will be at its loudest when the user is further away.

2. Now open the reward sound by pressing the orange open button on the right hand side of the screen. You can use the sample reward sounds, found in sample library on the installation disk, or you may prefer using your own samples. This sound will loop automatically and will become louder as the user gets closer to the sensor.

3. Now click the square toggle button underneath the open button for both the fear and reward sound this will turn both sounds on.

4.Click the speaker button underneath the toggle button to turn the main sound on, click this again to turn the sound off.

 

Note:

If sounds fail to play after all instructions have been completed, double click on settings option in the bottom right side of the screen.

Ensure USBModem is selected in drop down list, and then click the grey port USBModem button underneath the drop down list.

Ensure the square toggle button is selected and click the grey analogins 5 1 button.

If further help or information is needed please consult the instruction Manual found on the Sonar Voyage installation disk.

 

Other Important Information

It is important when using Sonar Voyage to first discuss the fear and reward sound used with the client. Ensure sounds are picked which are suitable to them, you may like to take time with the client to choose appropriate sounds. These sounds and their meaning to the client should be explored in depth before using Sonar Voyage to ensure the client has opportunity to work through any underlying issues which may be apparent.

 

Copyright Nat Higgins 2012

Sonar Voyage LTD

Product designing – Day 4

I began the day by drilling the holes in the enclosure I have for the arduino. I chose a slightly see through blue enclosure as I felt it looked more professional then a plain black one, it also makes it stand out and the black sensor stands out again it. I drilled 2 holes one of the sensor through the top of the box and one of the USB cable through the side:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This now means that the sensor can stand on its side so that it can be walked towards, like so:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also begun compiling a sample library of fear & reward sounds, which would come with the installation disk as example sounds of what the user may like to use. I am already working upon a project separate to this one which deals with peoples fear, in which I carried out a survey of peoples least favourite sounds, I then carried out a further survey of peoples most liked sounds using Facebook,

I created a sample folder, with seperate folders for both fear and reward sounds, each folder contains 15 samples, each sample is 4 bars long and would be looped in the max patch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing Sonar Voyage

First sensor test using a sine wave

Experimenting with different samples

Designing Software – Part 3

After showing a random selection of people the design for the revised design for the software, there was one main point of feedback which was that the name Voyager was to vague and did not give any inclination as to what the product does. I have therefore revised the name again and have rename the product Sonar Voage, I have decided to keep the word Voyage in the name as it has a lot of meaning as to exactly what the experience of the product is about I have now however put the word Sonar at the front of the name, to give users a better idea of what the product does. I am still not 100% on the name but this is something which can be revised again at a later date if needed.

Below is a revised copy of the software, logo and thumbnail:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also added a help folder to the software, as I have got rid of the explanations of which sound will be loudest at which points I felt it would be appropriate to have a help folder situated within the software for easy access for explanations to queries and problems. It gives a step by step instruction of how to use the software and notes on other issues which may occur, I will also be making a instruction manuel which will come with the installation disk which will have more in-depth information upon. Below is the help file:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also edited the max patch so that the sounds will fade in gradually, as during experiments I have noticed that the sounds often dropped in very fast and loud which sounds bad and often makes me jump. The sound will now fade in automatically, again I used a loud bang to make this trigger when the patch is opened much like I did with the analogue button:

 

 

Designing The Software – Day 2

At the start of day 2 I decided to change the name from The UltraSonar to Voyager, the reasoning behind this being that the point of the interface is to embark on a journey from A to B which for people who are struggling with movement could be quite substantial and a moment they may go on to remember for a long time, hense the name Voyager.

The Software is now looking like so:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also went on to design a thumbnail and a logo for the software:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then went on to change the descriptions of the sounds which need to be opened, which was suggested to me as an improvement the day before by a selection of people:

 

 

 

 

I settled on the simple wording of ‘fear’ and ‘reward’ as this describes to the user the exact sounds which need to be opened. Whilst I was trying to keep the description neutral to ensure users know they could use any sound, at this stage in the development I am making the interface for the use of fear and reward sounds, so whilst it could go on to be used for more things for now the design should be kept as simple as possible to ensure usability which is my primary aim.

 

I then went on to add a progress graph, this was hooked up to the sensors input, which is showing the distance of the user, I then loaded in messages with the minimum input of the sensor, 0, and the maximum which is shown by the sensor at 0.15.

Patcher:

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation mode:

 

 

I am currently working on how I can get this graph to output this information in to numbers, but am currently struggling to understand what measurement the sensor is outputting in so am unable to convert the information accurately into a measurement such as centimeters.

Designing the Software

Now I have a working interface I am concentrating on making the software look aesthetically pleasing and usable. From my research for my dissertation Literature Review which can be read by clicking here, I have found that intimidating software is often the reason therapists do not use technology so it is important that I design something that looks appealing, easy to use and understand & something which is not over complicated or flashy.

To make the Software simpler to use I have made sure that everything which can be done automatically is done, for example, when i first designed the patch a analogue channel need to be selected and turned on, I have now made only 1 analogue channel as I have plugged the sensor into channel 5 and once the Arduino is enclosed this will not be able to be changed, I then loaded in a bang which is delayed by 2 seconds when the patch is opened to ensure the arduino has been selected, analogue channel 5 will then be automatically selected meaning that this part of the process can be hidden in a separate folder (Encapsulate) so that the user does not have to see it. However if this were to fail there will still be a settings option available on the software which the user can select and manually correct if needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I began by using presentation mode in Max and putting in only the most crucial objects, these are, open buttons for both sounds, the toggle on buttons for both sounds and the main volume and the settings option.

2 key objects I have been using to make the software look more useable and pleasing on the eye is Panel & Comments. Comments allows me to add extra text such as a title to make the App look more user friendly and easier to use. Panel is a spare/rectangle of colour which can be adjusted in size and can be used to put text in etc again to make it look more pleasing on the eye. I have also been changing the colours of all text and background to ensure a colour theme again to add to the aesthetics.

I began working with a colour theme of blue, this can be seen below:

 

 

However I went on to design that blue with orange text looked slightly too much like it was being aimed at children and adults may not want to use it as they would feel they were using a child’s toy. I want this app to be able to appeal to anyone so I decided to try a more neutral colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to go for a light grey background dark grey boxes with a mixture of orange and black writing. I decided this colour was much more neutral and could appeal to any age and gender. It also looks a lot more sleek then the blue adding a much more professional feel to the software.

 

 

 

 

 

I also decided upon the name The UltraSonar, I am not currently 100% happy with the name however have chosen it for now as I feel it gives a good impression of what the product is, Ultra (from ultra sonic) and sonar (because this is whats bat use which is simular to what the interface is using, and this is a term that most people are familiar with).

 

By the end of the day my software looked like so:

 

I did not specify that sound 1 had to be a fear sound etc as I wanted users to know that any sound could be used with this interface so I just specified Sound 1 & 2 and underneath wrote when the sounds would be at their loudest. However when I showed this design to a random selection of people they all fed back that this description was slightly confusing. This is something which I need to change.

Building my Interface

Today I have begun building my interface, I began by soldering together the ultra sonic sensor so that it could be attached to the Arduino.

Ground – Orange wire

+5 – Yellow wire

Analogue – Green wire

I then attached the wires to the appropriate pins on the Arduino, currently my interface looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also begun designing my Max patch, I began with 1 input for sound, the fear sound, which would get quieter as the user approaches the sensor.

However I then decided to add another input of channel which gets louder as the user approches, therefore replacing the fear sound, this would be a reward sound, a sound that the user likes, for example, rain etc.

This will add extra incentive for the user to move forward as not only will it make the fear sound stop it will also play a sound they enjoy. Also adding to the sense of achievement.

My Max Patch so far:

Ultra Sonic Sensor

Ultra Sonic Sensor ordered today: