Ralf Muhlberger

Changing musical emotion: A computational rule system for modifying score and performance

When communicating emotion in music, composers and performers encode their expressive intentions through the control of basic musical features such as: pitch, loudness, timbre, mode, and articulation. The extent to which emotion can be controlled through the systematic manipulation of these features has not been fully examined. In this paper we present CMERS, a Computational Music Emotion Rule System for the control of perceived musical emotion that modifies features at the levels of score and performance in real-time. CMERS performance was evaluated in two rounds of perceptual testing. In experiment I, 20 participants continuously rated the perceived emotion of 15 music samples generated by CMERS. Three music works, each with five emotional variations were used (normal, happy, sad, angry, and tender). The intended emotion by CMERS was correctly identified 78% of the time, with significant shifts in valence and arousal also recorded, regardless of the works’ original emotion.

Controlling musical emotionality: an affective computational architecture for influencing musical emotions

Abstract Emotions are a key part of creative endeavours, and a core problem for computational models of creativity. In this paper we discuss an affective computing architecture for the dynamic modification of music with a view to predictablyaffectinginducedmusicalemotions. Extending previous work on the modification of perceived emotions in music, our system architecture aims to provide reliable control of both perceived and induced musical emotions: its emotionality. A rule-based system is used to modify a subset of musical features at two processing levels, namely score and performance. The interactive model leverages sensed listener affect by adapting the emotionality of the music modifications in real-time to assist the listener in reaching a desired emotional state.

FlowBack: providing backward recovery for workflow management systems

The Distributed Systems Technology Centre (DSTC) framework for workflow specification, verification and management captures workflows transaction-like behavior for long lasting processes. FlowBack is an advanced prototype functionally enhancing an existing workflow management system by providing process backward recovery. It is based on extensive theoretical research ([3],[4],[5],[6],[8],[9]), and its architecture and construction assumptions are product independent. FlowBack clearly demonstrates the extent to which generic backward recovery can be automated and system supported. The provision of a solution for handling exceptional business process behavior requiring backward recovery makes workflow solutions more suitable for a large class of applications, therefore opening up new dimensions within the market. For the demonstration purpose, FlowBack operates with IBM FlowMark, one of the leading workflow products.

A Surround Display Warp-Mesh Utility to Enhance Player Engagement

Surround displays are used in simulation, training, and other applications based on virtual worlds. A wide-view display engages the viewers peripheral vision, providing a more accurate view of the virtual world and therefore a heightened sense of immersion. However, most commercially available surround displays are expensive and complex. We developed a low-cost alternative, which uses a standard digital projector, a hemispherical mirror, and any roughly spherical or cylindrical screen. The software can handle irregular surfaces and will be open-sourced in the next release of the CaveUT/VRGL freeware. We also conducted a pilot study comparing game play in our prototype and game play with a standard desktop monitor. Players using the surround display reported significantly shorter (P = 0.0051) perceived duration of time during play. Reduced awareness of the passage of time during game play was positively correlated with greater engagement and enjoyment.

It's the thought that counts: content vs. contact

We are currently exploring two domains where the introduction of content gathering technologies is having a negative impact on social contact, particularly telecare technologies on independent living and sensor technologies on remote regional workers. To minimise the incidental cost of such interventions we are investigating enhanced design options that include contact, in the form of presence/awareness, as secondary functionality of these technologies. In this paper we classify a sample of presence technologies from the home environments using a model of presence, based on the concept of content and contact. Content is discussed in terms of the communication bandwidth while contact is viewed from the attention requirement of both initiator and receiver. Issues and successes of each category are highlighted, and we conclude with a contact focused interaction pattern that relates to, but is not driven by, content.

Living with the sound of the past: experiencing sonic atomic interaction using the sound diary

This paper proposes a new interaction paradigm, atomic interaction, that aims at creating and maintaining contact without the transmission of content beyond the fact that an interaction is occurring. Atomic interactions can be represented using sound, which we term sonic atomic interaction. Since this is a new application of sonification, a prototype called the Sound Diary was created to simulate sonic atomic interaction for a pilot trial study. The experience of living with the Sound Diary is described in this paper from the first author point of view. The lessons learned from the experience are discussed in the light of previous literature. It was found that auditory icons can be easily confused for environmental sounds, and that dead metaphor sound may reduce confusion and startled reactions if auditory icons are to be used in unattended devices.

Exploring virtual representations of physical artefacts in a multi-touch clothing design collaboration system

This paper describes a pilot study that investigates how a multi-touch system can support remote collaboration within the clothing design and manufacturing industries. We first examine and discuss the existing collaboration processes and issues found in the day-to-day operations of the clothing industry. To further refine our understanding of what forms of collaboration are important when discussing design and manufacturing techniques, we conducted an ethnographic study with fashion design students. Based on this background research, we designed, developed and evaluated a multi-touch gestural prototype interface. We conclude with reflections on whether collocated natural interactions can be extended remotely via technology.

Mutuality: a key gap in the move to telecare

Telecare is thought to be a solution for the increasing healthcare cost of an aging population. We want to identify possible issues in telecare implementations to inform technology design. By analysing telecare literature using the Locales Framework it was found that there is a gap in telecare technology research in designing awareness or presence (known as the mutuality aspect in the Locales Framework) between the elderly and their informal carers. By designing a technology intervention on existing telecare architecture to address this gap, it is speculated that telecare can reintroduce social contact to the appropriate parties, i.e. family and friends, when professional contact with visiting nurses is replaced by technology.

Hearing but not listening: Auditory icons and presence

This paper explores the usage of auditory icons in creating the feeling of presence of a remote person in a virtual simulation of domestic life. Auditory icons are the representation of processes or activities using everyday sounds. Presence is defined in this research as ‘the feeling of being with others’. In this research, domestic life is simulated using the game called The Sims. Participants were asked to play the game while being able to hear auditory icons that represent another player who were playing the game in a remote place. In actuality the auditory icons is just a sound loop. A presence questionnaire given to 49 users participating in 2 research trials shows that auditory icons can easily be ignored and thus do not induce a high level of social presence, but when the auditory icons are given attention to, social presence is significantly increased. The results from the trials are also discussed from the perspective of Acoustic Communication Theory, which shows that as the auditory environment becomes saturated with sound objects, people tend to be ‘distracted listeners’. At the time of writing more experiments are being done to study the effects of auditory icons on presence.

Dynamic Database Generation for Mobile Applications

Mobile devices can be seen as components of distributed information systems, with applications executed on these devices requiring a fragment of the global schema allocated to the device and implemented through materialised views. As mobile devices become more powerful we would like to minimise modifications to application code and thus reduce the cost of migration for large numbers of applications to mobile devices. Ideally an application should run mobile without any modification.Mobile devices can be seen as components of distributed information systems, with applications executed on these devices requiring a fragment of the global schema allocated to the device and implemented through materialised views. As mobile devices become more powerful we would like to minimise modifications to application code and thus reduce the cost of migration for large numbers of applications to mobile devices. Ideally an application should run mobile without any modification. It is possible to implement dynamic database creation for application instances in an architecture with a light-weight database management system on the mobile device and an application manager. This eliminates the need for the applications to be modified to manage their data requirements in mobile environments, with mobile dynamically created databases acting as the expected server database to the mobile applications. This is particularly useful in environments where tasks are scheduled by a workflow management system that is readily modified to act as an application manager.