Not-so-instant Messenger: An audio installation and guessing game

We typically think about interactive media in terms of screens and buttons. Audio, if it’s included, is usually a secondary source of information or input. Not-so-instant Messenger is a prototype sound installation that I designed and created with Sander de Jong. We sought to create an interesting, interactive experience without the use of screens or lights, and using only sounds synthesized in real-time. The end result was a game that evokes wandering around at night, seeking out a friendly voice.

The setup

The installation consists of a field of 24 wires hanging from the ceiling in a 6×4 grid. Each wire hangs about 1.5 meters above the floor, and about 1cm of insulation is stripped from the end of each wire, exposing its core. These wires are connected to an 1 megaohm resistor and an Arduino Mega, forming a network of rudimentary capacitive touch sensors. Speakers are positioned at the corners of the field.

Playing the game

When a person begins the interaction, they’re invited to whisper a message into a microphone—speaking too loudly switches the microphone off. From here, the only way to playback the message is to play with the installation.

The message is assigned to one of the hanging wires. By touching the ends of the wires, the player guesses the location of the message. If they guess incorrectly or take too long to guess, the message moves to an adjacent wire. When a player makes a guess, they’ll hear the synthesized hoot of an ‘owl’ in the night to guide them in the right direction.

The owl’s call varies in direction and intensity, based on how close the player is to the correct answer. As time goes on, however, the owl becomes more and more difficult to hear among the howl of the wind, the buzz of cicadas and the hum of nearby civilization. If a player finds the correct wire before the allotted time is up, they’ll hear the message played back.

The installation prototype was realized with an Arduino Mega and about 120m of wire. The sensor input was handled with the Arduino and sent via serial connection to Pure Data, where the sound was synthesized.