ChopStix

2010, 2011

A tangible auditory interface, designed to display and control spatially distributed near realtime data. It reclaims the abstract of digitally processed information, and provides an alternative access to environmental data. ChopStix is a calm system dedicated to reflection by interacting with an auditory representation of data via everyday-like artefacts. People can immerse themselves into quantitative data e.g. from ozone, weather or traffic measurements sampled throughout Europe in near real time.

The raw data provided by independent sources are stirred together by the user, forming an informative auditory stream. The tangible interface allows visitors to express their idiosyncratic approach in understanding this data mix. The resulting configuration of the sticks in their containers is a trace of each user’s personal preference and determines the initial setup for the next.

Associated media including videos are archived at archive.org.

Contributions Link to heading

I want to thank Jan Anlauff, Holger Dierker, Florian Grond, Felix Hagemann, Simon Schulz, René Tünnermann, Sebastian Zehe and Thomas Hermann for fruitful discussions, as well as valuable help and support.