For my final, I want to do an immersive environment experience using sound.
The space will be set up with three different stations, each mimicking an environment through different sounds (e.g. a jungle environment with bird and rain sounds).
The idea is to have the participant start in the middle of the space blindfolded (equidistant from each station), and “explore” the different environments based off of what sounds intrigue them. There will be distance sensors mounted at each station that increase the volume and intensity of the sounds depending on the proximity of the participant.
Ideally, the closer the participant is to the station, the more immersed they will feel within the environment. Once participants feel fully immersed in the environment, they can take off the blindfold and see where they ended up. Side addition: it would be an interesting exercise to ask participants to write down why they were drawn to a particular environment/set of sounds over another.
Anticipated materials:
- Arduino uno boards x3
- Distance sensors x3 (IR distance sensors if they can sense far enough)
- Arduino sound shields x3
- Speakers x3
- Blindfolds
- Optional: scent dispensers (candles, sprays, essential oils, etc.)
- Optional: light source (LEDs)