I think the ‘place’ team is an amazing group!! It has given me confidence in teamwork projects, and the overall presentation of the project is impressive. It is definitely not a project that one person could complete in just two months. However, nothing is perfect, and there are still many areas that need improvement.
The biggest issue was the detection problem with the Kinect and Arduino sensors. As we mentioned in our blog, we ultimately did not use the Kinect part of the project because its detection range conflicted with that of the ultrasonic sensors. However, this made our interactive part somewhat monotonous because we only had the options of moving forward and backward, and triggering scene transitions. This weakened the immersive atmosphere. Additionally, we spent a lot of effort exploring different effects with the Kinect part, and not being able to present them was a great pity. Moreover, the ultrasonic sensor detection was not sensitive, and it was affected by clothing materials and lighting. We had to ask the audience to hold a heavy blackboard in front of their chests to trigger the effect, and it wasn’t always effective. One possible solution is that we could give up ultrasonic sensors and switch to coordinate-detecting sensors. Without considering technical and equipment limitations, if we could set up the entire exhibition site as a three-dimensional coordinate system, where the audience can trigger different scene effects and sounds in different areas, I think that would be very cool. Additionally, if the Kinect could be modified to capture the silhouette of a person and interact with the point cloud image, I think it could enhance the immersive experience.
Another issue is related to the venue and equipment. The size of the screens on both sides is not consistent, which affects the overall visual appeal of the exhibition. If we could use large LED electronic displays, the exhibition would be more refined. Additionally, our sensors were exposed, and perhaps we could create a prop that fits the concept to wrap it up and create a more immersive environment.
In this team project, I deeply realize the importance of teamwork and the role of sound design in interactive media projects. Everyone is like a part of a machine, efficiently completing their own work. The presentation of this exhibition cannot be achieved without the efforts of Molly and Danni. They rented the venue, printed the models, created animations, posters, and postcards. They made this project finally presented to the audience in the form of a real exhibition. In addition, they actively communicated with the teacher, allowing us to receive feedback in a timely manner and improve the project. Also, this is the first time I have collaborated with classmates in sound design to complete a project. They demonstrated outstanding ideas and professional skills, allowing me to truly experience how sound enhances visual effects, creates atmosphere and emotions, and allows the audience to experience and feel the work more deeply. David’s professionalism and maturity have always effectively guided the team, and Xiaoqing and Chengyu have always actively followed up on the project and patiently solved the problem of how to combine the visual and sound parts. Yuanguang has also been communicating with David about the sound part. Allison and Yuxuan, as partners who completed the visual part together, have always patiently helped me solve the problems I encountered. Without them, I might have collapsed.
So happy!! Be a part of “place” team!!!
Yijun Zhou
