Process
Creating our artifact was both challenging and enjoyable. We explored each other's homes, collaborated in the studio, and successfully brought our vision to life.
Unexpectedly, we acquired new skills and knowledge throughout the process, adding an extra layer of learning to our project. The entire experience was filled with excitement,
Scroll through our project's journey – from start to finish, capturing all the ups and downs.
Proposal Background
Our project is a creative blend of play, learning, and technology. Using touch and sound, we're crafting a toy that doubles as a musical learning experience for children. The idea is to make playtime not only fun but also educational. When kids interact with the toy through touch, it responds with engaging sounds, creating a delightful and immersive learning environment. It's all about turning the simple act of playing into a multisensory adventure, where touch and sound come together to make learning enjoyable for young minds.
Proposed Objective
Our project aims to provide a hands-on, educational experience for children aged 5-10, merging play, learning, and technology seamlessly. By incorporating tactile interactions and responsive sound elements, our objective is to create a tool that enables children to explore the world of music through simple and enjoyable play. Through this initiative, we seek to cultivate a space where children can independently discover various musical instruments, fostering a sense of curiosity and creativity in their developmental journey.
Proposed Approach
We decided to execute our objective through Tacto-Tunes : A musical playmat. Meticulously crafted by embroidering conductive thread, it gives life to a unique blend of creativity and technology. Through the integration of a touch board and carefully crafted code, Tacto Tunes transforms into an interactive canvas where touching different parts of the mat produces a symphony of sounds. This hands-on approach not only makes learning about music enjoyable for children but also offers a novel way for them to express themselves through the art of touch.
Data collected
In our exploration of real-time data, simplicity proved to be our greatest asset. The central idea was simple: an artefact that responds to input and generates dynamic output. Tactile data was chosen as our input because it could be transformed into an auditory adventure. Though we had intended to experiment with pressure sensitivity, technical difficulties shifted our focus.
We discovered a delightful surprise, however, through careful observation and user testing. Users interacted in a variety of ways, prompting us to embrace a variety of tactile data types. This unexpected twist not only improved the user experience but also elevated the auditory experience.
Artefact
Tacto-tunes, a musical playmat designed for kids aged five to ten, is the end product of all this research and development. Different patterns of conductive thread are embroidered to create the mat. Depending on which pin detects the touch, the conductive thread is used to relay touch input to the touch board, which then transmits a signal to the computer. In this manner, when various patterns are touched, the mat reacts by making distinct sounds.
Although our playmat might not be ready for the market yet, it's a working prototype of a tactile playmat that engages children in an unusual way. Given time and resources, the mat could be developed further into better versions of itself, with regards to gamification and sensitivity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the TactoTunes project was a technically challenging yet gratifying experience. Successfully bringing our ideas to life was a source of pride. However, in hindsight, we recognize the potential for improvement in considering a broader range of tactile inputs.
While the mat effectively responded to touch with various patterns, incorporating diverse textures could have enhanced the user experience. Despite this, the project's completion was engaging, filled with valuable lessons, technical triumphs, and a sense of accomplishment.