Passive Music Creation
The Bird-box makes music through the user’s passive input. Using a variety of sensors, the instrument reads environmental factors in order to generate its own
unique live music.
The Bird-Box fills rooms with melodies that reflects its environment, a live generative synthesizer that anyone
can use.
Inspiration
What if generative synthesis could be less big brain, and more approachable instead?
Current Generative Synths
User Scenarios
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The Birdbox listens, taking in inspiration from its enviroment.
The Birdbox occasionally burps, letting out streams of melodies it has come up with. Just like a parrot!
The Birdbox is respectful!
Staying quiet and resting during the night.
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Like a rooster, the Bird Box awakens with a light melody, based on things that are unique to each day.
The Bird Box fills empty rooms with light ambient melodies.
Melodies can be adjusted by speaking directly to the Bird Box, like other smart home electronics.
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During the late hours, and whenever the user sets it to, the Birdbox rests!
While in rest mode, the Birdbox stops gathering info from its surroundings.
This can be changed by directly speaking to the Birdbox, or by knocking on it before going to sleep.
The Process
After distilling the compositional components of the birdhouse, I found the home shape and entrance hole had the largest impact on the “feel”.
I played with these two elements until I got an impression I really liked.
Digital Silhouette Exploration
I also experimented with generative-inspired ways of tuning these elements.
Although I settled with the “classic” silhouette, I liked the idea of there being different shapes that would suggest different personalities, and therefore different interpretations of
the environment ambience.
Further Development
Early designs were rough and doughy, but gave me insight on how I could develop the form further.
The Final Design
