Oscillavoid

The objective of our project was to create a sound environment activated by the human pulse to synthesize sound. We connected a heartbeat sensor to an Arduino Uno, which prints the pulse in real time. We scaled the readings to control the speed of a DC motor, which we attached to a redesigned electric fan. As the pulse increases, the motor runs faster. The pulse readings are also used to create a MIDI interface in MaxMSP, connected to Ableton Live to output sounds. As the pulse increases, these notes get louder and overlap each other.

In our physical installation, someone can place their finger on the pulse sensor, which triggers the fan to run at a speed corresponding to their pulse. The fan is positioned in front of a spotlight, directed at our main work, the photocell synthesizers. These photocells react to light, and as the motor runs faster, it disrupts the lighting throughout the room. Consequently, the photocell synthesizer triggers sounds in response to the light. As the heartbeat increases, a tense atmosphere is created that can only calm down once the pulse lowers. We achieve the sound in this piece by using Ableton Live to output our work through surround sound speakers, enhancing the environment created within our piece.