Biodata Sonification

For my senior project at SCAD, I decided to create a project that addresses the relationships between physical space, sound, nature, and technology.

After initial experiments in Touchdesigner, I wanted to try my hand at something more complex: using MIDI data generated by plants to control projected visuals. What sparked my interest in this type of project was my professor's mention of the MIDI Sprout, a device that he owned and allowed me to use for initial drafts. I became obsessed with the idea of building and understanding a device like this. I ultimately decided to try and engineer it myself using an Arduino kit, sensors, and electrode leads. I had never built anything like this and there was very little information online on how to code something and get it into TouchDesigner.

With little knowledge within my department to build and complete a project like this, I spent this quarter running around my school searching for professors and students in the  Interactive Design Department that could support me in this endeavor. After 3 months of trial and error with the device, I was successful in building it. I was able to use it to capture conductive patterns that I translated into both audio and visual frequencies in TouchDesigner. I explored many different aesthetics for the project, ranging from 2D, 3D, and practical. I ended up settling on using PBR materials in TouchDesigner to create abstract 3D visuals that reminded me of the similarities in which plants and electronics operate.

This project and my other experimentations in TouchDesigner led me to receive the Innovation & Technology Chair Award upon Graduating from SCAD in 2022.

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Undergraduate Thesis Project | 2022