This project seeks to develop an interactive environment for children in whom they can affect and experience physical sound/music parameters using RFID radar, tags and additional sensor network technology. This project is a collaboration with Greg O’Hanlon from the School of Creative Arts at Magee. Greg has outlined the RFID Tag Sound Toy with a diagram of the floor space to be accessorised. That PDF document illustrates a central blue area to be a square area of floor space ~ 36 m2. In actuality it will not be coloured or labelled as in the diagram - the lines and labels are presented here only as a convenient means to explore how we might map data received to a sound parameter. Users are fitted with RFID tags and asked to enter the "sound field". The tags are tracked dynamically and their position is mapped to an appropriate sound parameter. In this way, a user moving through the field can manipulate for example pitch/frequency (+ or - displacement on X axis) and volume (+ or - displacement on Y axis). This is a simple example but it’s hoped that more complex examples can be developed.

Operation of the environment in terms of user input must be simple. A "mode" selector is envisaged as the primary operational control i.e. Mode 1: Pitch against Volume, Mode 2: Harmonic number against Amplitude etc.

Examples so far are based on a single user input however team interaction is a significant part of the projects goal e.g. four users each representing a harmonic’s amplitude over time as the children move the amplitude of each harmonic is altered and the so the tone becomes more simple or complex. As an instructional aid it is suggested that a large graphical image of the user position (a flashing icon) against an appropriate map be projected onto an adjacent wall.

Brief Methodology