Database Driver
I Am Driving Through Sound Space is a project (MIT) that uses a steering wheel and sound to navigate through a sound library. Uses the Cocktail Party Effect and the Doppler effect to let the user know where he is in the 3d soundspace. There's a movie, but unfortunately it sounds like a lot of people honking their horns, not the 1000 rock concerts happening simultaneously, like I imagined.
Interesting
turn of events. I remember reading in Road&Track a while ago about Saab's aircraft-based drive-by-wire joystick system, which does away with the new-fangled (historically speaking) wheel/pedal interface. (Does GM still allow Saab engineers to think for themselves? They threw out the signature hatchback style, so maybe not...) Their idea was that wheels and pedals were too complicated and not intuitive; cars should be more like computers and games. Yet it's clear (now, post-Atari/claw-games) that joysticks really aren't a good way to do anything. Navigation should be visceral. Considering the sex appeal of the steering wheel--for contrast, consider Arnold passionately driving the Johnny Cab in
Total Recall--it could be that "steering" through data is a good way to do it. It's a more intuitive interface. At least, it's definitely a way to keep car nuts at their computers. I've always been keen on incorporating the feeling of gravity and friction in interface design. Now I'll add 3d sound to the list.
via
wwmna
* Ray, 3/26/2005 10:20:00 AM
