P006 → Lunitus
Lunitus is a helmet that allows the wearer to discern the spectrum of light by hearing the individual color frequencies.
The helmet reduces the wearers visibility just enough, to shift the focus on individual light sources and their corresponding sound profile.
Lunitus allows the user to hear the differences in the spectrum of light and experience their surroundings in a new way. To make this possible, a spectral sensor is used to measure the current light situation in which the user is located several times per second. The data collected in this way is then used to create an immersive soundscape. To generate this, the sensor data is filtered and then transmitted to a computer. The computer then generates the soundscape using various algorithms and sound engineering software. The live sounds are then transmitted wirelessly to the helmet. Headphones built into the helmet isolate the ambient noise in order to replace the actual sense of hearing as much as possible with the new perceptions. To give the user an even more immersive experience, their field of vision is reduced to focus on individual light sources and their corresponding sound profile.
An additional input, which flows into the generation of the sound, is the effective data under which light source the user is currently located. The soundscape is mostly generated by the pure data of the sensor which is transmitted live. To make changes between different light conditions even more interesting, Lunitus tries to recognize the current environment with the help of machine learning. To achieve this, thousands of measurements from different light sources were fed into the software. The machine learning model recognizes a pattern based on these, which it then compares with the live values from the sensor. In this way, only the light frequency can be used to predict which scenario the user is currently in, and therefore the sound can be adjusted.
The quality of light has a significant impact on our physical and mental health. Sunlight varies throughout the day. For instance, in the morning and evening the proportion of blue frequencies is considerably lower than around noon. These invisible factors affect us subconsciously in our daily lives. Therefore, the natural sleep rhythm of a person is based on the sun. With the invention of artificial light, which comes not as a side product of heat, these proportions of the various frequencies are different and can irritate our well-being and sleep rhythm. Nevertheless, we are exposed to such light every day and do not perceive it as much of a difference from the light we get in the open air.
The helmet is very eye-catching despite being mostly white, which makes it look quite futuristic. The design is based on a construction method that involves bending several panels around the headphones to create a relatively simple, lightweight, yet aesthetically pleasing shape.
The construction is based on a combination of different materials. The back of the helmet is laser cut from a metal sheet. Aluminum is chosen for its lightness, flexibility and aesthetics. The rest of the construction is cut from PET plastic sheets, which were then clear coated to limit the view for the wearer. In order for the helmet to keep its shape, the two sides are connected with a curved piece of slightly stronger aluminum.
The design decisions taken make your experience of wearing Lunitus yourself a very memorable one. Different light sources suddenly become tangible in a world of atmospheric sounds. Whether you are under a normal industrial ceiling lamp or approaching a window, sitting in front of a light bulb or catching real sun rays, the sound will be different accordingly. Even if you don't wear this helmet all the time, it will clearly make you more aware of what you're perceiving under different lights after this experience.
Context:
Data & ML driven Sensory Substitution Wearable in 2-Week Project “Physical Computing”
Date:
November 2021
Credits:
Concept: J.Reck, R.Schrago, J.Tillich, S.Weber
Hardware: R.Schrago, S.Weber
Software: J.Reck, J.Tillich
Sound: J.Reck
Mentors:
Luke Franzke & Paulina Zybinska