Sound and Interaction Laboratory
The sound and interaction laboratory hosts teaching and research activities from an interdisciplinary group of HIOF faculty members with shared interest in human interaction with sound. Activities span both individual and social contexts in which interaction with sound is significant. The laboratory hosts research activities closely connected to the Digitalisation and Society PhD program of Østfold University College.
Contact Georgios Marentakis for questions related to the laboratory and its activities.
Research and Teaching Activities
Currently research projects investigate interaction with sound using novel audio technologies in application areas that range from music and the arts to teaching and education, health and well-being, and human-computer interaction. Two PhD projects look into the use of audio technologies to help with auditory hypersensitivity and the development of techniques to diagnose auditory processing disorder. In the near future, the lab will participate in the MishMash Center for AI and Creativity and participate in the investigation of performative interactions with music, sound, and AI. Previous projects looked into designing sound for sustainability and the use of 3D audio in interfaces for the visually impaired.
The laboratory is also used for teaching Sound Design and Production by students of the BA Digital Media and Design and the Sound Design specialisation. It is also used for performing Interaction Design Experiments by the students of the Applied Computer Science Master program. There are Master thesis students also working on topics that span sound design, human computer interaction, biofeedback, 3D sound, and occasionally selected topics from auditory perception and cognition.
Location and Facilities
The laboratory is located in room D1-025 of the Institute of Computer Science and Communication in the Halden campus of Østfold University College. It consists of a connected listening/development and a user testing room with observation possibilities. Both are acoustically treated.
The laboratory is equipped with an Optitrack motion tracking system, a modular loudspeaker array with 20 Genelec 8010 loudspeakers, single and multichannel recording microphones, and a Neumann KU 100 dummy head. It also contains a MacStudio computer, IP-enabled multichannel playback and recording audio cards, as well as basic audiology and acoustic measurement capabilities. The laboratory has obtained financial support for equipment from the Digitalisation and Society PhD program.