future-instruments.net
Projects - Touch Table (2006)

This project extends the Percussion Tray example in order to be able to track continuous movements as well. The table is made touch sensitive by combining acoustic and vision tracking technologies. A camera placed above the table is tracking the continuous movement of the user’s hands, independently if they are touching the table or not, while the acoustic system is localizing the point of contact when tapping on the table. The combination of the acoustic and vision systems enables to override the limitation of each system used individually. The camera alone cannot determine whether the hands are touching the table or not, nor distinguish which of them is touching the table. On the other hand, the acoustic system alone, based on the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) between four sensors attached under the corners of the table, cannot track a continuous movement. However, by comparing the two positions given by the vision system and the single position given by the acoustic system, it is possible to distinguish which hand is touching the table. Once the proper hand is identified, its continuous movement over the table is tracked by the vision system, and a coloured dot corresponding to the position of the hand’s top part is displayed on a monitor for visual feedback. An output for the position value is given as long as the acoustic energy created by the friction of the finger on the table is above a certain threshold.

The Touch Table has been used for various applications and installations, such as the one presented at the Science Night in Geneva in July 2006. Users could create sounds and music by touching the surface of the table. Four virtual buttons drawn in the corner of the table allowed for selecting a different sound. Two sounds were generated by some sound synthesis algorithms driven by the x, y coordinate of the touch. The two other sounds were created by using the raw sound of the table as a sound source, and transforming it in real time with some effect processor controlled by the touch position.

 

Acknowledgements: This installation was realized in collaboration with the team of Klaus Scherer from the department of psychology of the University of Geneva and the team of Antonio Camurri from the University of Genoa. The sound design was realised by Daniel Arfib and Alain Crevoisier.

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