Body as UI

SoniFIT- Sonified Training System

Role

Researcher and Interaction Designer

Client 

Personal Project 

Summary

The goal of SoniFIT is to improve the motor performance through meaningful interactive sounds. The system keeps track and notify the user about the number of the reps making sure that the user is following the correct form for the routine. 

In SoniFIT the movement is tracked using a gyroscope and a gravity sensor. The movement then passes through the moment coupling model in which the form of the movement is checked. After that the data is passed to the sonification engine and based on the form and velocity the audio feedback will be mapped and passed to the user.

Challenge

1- How do we design a system with more subtle sound effects that would be more clear and meaningful in busy environments like gyms.
2- How do we make sure that the sound effects are not misused or misinterpreted by the users.
3-Would adding more playful elements to a system make it more interesting to use, or are we attracting motivated users that are looking for other types of users who are looking for more convenient UIs and applications.

The paper describing the research and results behind this project is here,