Embracing Sphere, an Environmental Storytelling with Audio-Tactile Playback System

Title (eng)
Embracing Sphere, an Environmental Storytelling with Audio-Tactile Playback System
Author
Mehmet Çolak
Degree supervisor
Laurent Mignonneau
Abstract (eng)
Conveying a story through the environment is a known technique in game design and theme park train rides. Blood stains under the door, footstep trails on snow and broken chains next to a beware the dog sign; all of these flash scene descriptions are examples of environmental storytelling. A heavy reliance on visual cues, defines the limitations of current methods in environmental storytelling. Utilizing multi-modal stimuli and 3D audio volumes for enhancing environmental storytelling remains niche and open for new perspectives in storytelling and narration through the environment. This research explores the integration of haptic feedback and acoustic modeling methods. Haptic feedback systems are most commonly used in video games, racing simulations and interactive art installations. Their signals are typically vibrations driven by low-frequency audio, creating pulses on haptic actuators. Complementing tactile experience, Room Impulse Responses (RIR) are utilized as a method of capturing acoustic properties of an enclosed volume/space later to use in reverberation (specifically convolution reverbs) to reconstruct the same acoustic responses while simulating different materials. Combining these distinct modalities, such as tactile pulses and acoustic simulations, offers a novel way to represent environmental snapshots purely through non-visual interfaces. Building on this potential, a multi-modal stimulation scenario using simultaneous audio signal playback incorporating procedurally generated RIRs and a bass shaker (transducer) will be this article’s foundational practical method. This applied work investigates the current state and potential of such multi-modal experiences in conveying environmental information. Proposed artwork designs, implement and evaluate an interactive audio-tactile system capabilities of procedurally generated environmental snapshots for storytelling purposes.
Type (eng)
Master theses
Language
[eng]
Persistent identifier
https://phaidra.kunstuni-linz.at/o:3701
DOI
10.57697/XMCV-CR06
Study plan
Interface Cultures
[771]
Date issued
2025
Approbation date
2025-10-13
License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International