Swarm Social Sound Modulators

英国在创建交互式应用程序方面处于世界领先地位，这些应用程序是通过声波前沿的计算操作实现的。这类应用的三个例子包括空中触觉、定向音频和体积3D粒子显示。使用相控阵的超声波扬声器，精确和单独控制，我们可以在半空中创造高压焦点。通过不同的方式调节这些焦点，就有可能1)在徒手触摸时创造丰富的触觉；2)引导定向声音在不衰减的情况下长距离传播；3)悬浮小粒子，当它们在空间中快速移动时，由于一种称为视觉持久性的现象，可以模拟体积三维形状。这些惊人的新技术的开发只有Ultraleap（一家总部位于英国的公司）和苏塞克斯大学才有，他们有着悠久而富有成效的合作历史。例如，Ultraleap目前正在将手部跟踪和超声波空中触觉反馈解决方案结合起来，用于VR训练模拟器、汽车接口、游戏机和下一代数字标牌亭等应用。同样，萨塞克斯大学正在开发基于快速更新的超声波相控阵的多模态3D显示器，以在移动声学悬浮物体时创造持久的视觉。相控阵基础技术大规模部署的一个重要制约因素是非模块化系统的成本和复杂性，因为它限制了适用性。例如，没有一种尺寸适合所有相控阵，大多数集成解决方案需要定制开发。在这个项目中，我们将通过创建简单和低成本的模块化空间声音调制器（SSM）单元，即更小的声源阵列，来绕过这些问题，这些单元将放置在交互空间周围，它们可以共同优于我们目前拥有的单个大型单片解决方案。此外，我们将通过消除可扩展性和可重用性问题，在声场控制方面取得飞跃，从而将相控阵技术的开发应用到其他应用领域，这些应用领域可以从触觉反馈的非接触传递、可操纵的定向声音和/或体积3D粒子显示器中受益。具体来说，我们将借鉴多智能体博弈论和分布式计算的成熟文献，并使用它们来构建一个分散的群体架构，该架构可以灵活地容纳众多SSM单元。每个SSM将发射和调制附近的声场，同时与其群宿主共享对上下文细节的共同意识，而期望的集体行为将从多个SSM之间的相互作用及其与环境的相互作用中出现。我们提出的方法有几个预期的好处。首先，通过设计简单、独立的ssm，我们能够使用相同的原始单元解决多个商业应用，同时简化制造管道。这些模块化单元可以单独使用，也可以以多种方式组合使用，以创建新的应用程序。其次，通过启用分布式控制架构，群ssm可以无缝地逐步扩展。通过增量组合大量的模块化单元，客户最初可以使用少量的SSM单元，并根据应用程序需要添加新设备，动态地增加其交互式多模态系统的功能。最后，通过使用博弈论，我们将使ssm能够动态地相互合作，以满足独立于应用逻辑和模块化设备安排的应用目标，从而简化开发和设计过程，使创意设计师能够专注于提供更加身临其境和多模式的体验。

The UK is a world-leader in creating interactive applications that are enabled by computational manipulation of acoustic wave fronts. Three examples of such applications include mid-air haptics, directional audio, and volumetric 3D particle displays. Using a phased array of ultrasonic speakers that are precisely and individually controlled, we can create high pressure focal points in mid-air. Modulating these focal points in various ways, it is possible to 1) create rich tactile sensations when touched by the bare hands, 2) steer directional sounds that propagate over long distances un-attenuated, 3) levitate small particles that when rapidly moved in space emulate volumetric 3D shapes due to a phenomenon called persistence of vision.The exploitation of these amazing new technologies is uniquely available to Ultraleap (a UK based company) and Sussex University who have a long and productive history of collaboration. For example, Ultraleap is currently combining hand-tracking and ultrasonic mid-air haptic feedback solutions for applications ranging from VR training simulators, automotive interfaces, gaming machines, and next generation digital signage kiosks. Similarly, Sussex University is creating multimodal 3D displays based on rapidly updating ultrasonic phased arrays to create persistence of vision when moving acoustically levitated objects. A significant constraint to the wide-scale deployment of the underlying technology of phased arrays is the cost and complexity of a non-modular system because it limits applicability. For example, there is no one size fits all phased array with most integrated solutions needing to be custom developed.In this project, we will circumvent such problems altogether by creating simple and low cost modular spatial sound modulator (SSM) units i.e. smaller arrays of acoustic sources, to be placed around the interactive space, that can collectively out-perform the single large monolithic solution we currently have. Moreover, we will take a leap forward in sound-field control by removing scalability and reusability issues thus opening up the exploitation of phased array technologies into other applications domains that can benefit from the non-contact delivery of haptic feedback, steerable directional sound, and/or volumetric 3D particle displays. Specifically, we will draw on the well-developed literature of multi-agent game theory and distributed computing and use them to build a decentralised swarm architecture that can flexibly accommodate numerous SSM units. Each SSM will emit and modulate the sound-field nearby it while sharing a common awareness of the contextual details with its swarm host, while the desired collective behaviour will emerge from the interactions between multiple SSMs and their interactions with the environment.There are several anticipated benefits to our proposed approach. Firstly, by designing simple, independent SSMs we are able to address multiple commercial applications using the same primitive unit, while simultaneously streamlining the manufacturing pipeline. These modular units can be used individually or combined in a myriad of ways to create new applications. Secondly, by enabling a distributed control architecture, swarm SSMs can seamlessly and progressively scale up. By incrementally combining larger numbers of modular units, customers can initially use a small number of SSM units, and dynamically grow the capabilities of their interactive multimodal system by adding new devices according to the application needs. Finally, by using game theory we will enable SSMs to dynamically cooperate with each other as to meet application objectives independent of the application logic and the arrangement of our modular devices thus simplifying the development and design process and enabling creative designers to focus on the delivery of evermore immersive and multimodal experiences.