Project Description 

Cymatics is the translation of sound into other sensations. Synesthesia is a natural phenomenon where human senses are effectively crossed, causing some people to see color when they hear sound, or to taste or smell things when presented with a color. One in eight Americans and 360 million people worldwide experience partial or complete hearing loss, living in silence. Cultural events, such as performing arts and social gatherings, play a crucial role in uniting communities. However, the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) population is frequently excluded from these benefits. When events depend on sound to convey their experience or message, organizations and artists often fail to provide equal access due to a lack of resources or awareness, leaving those who cannot hear at a disadvantage. You’ll collaborate alongside project mentor Dr. Chet Udell and consult with Cymaspace staff to help continue applying Universal Design principles to facilitate multisensory accessibility around music gatherings. Some examples of things developed so far include:

The AudioLux Lighting System represents a significant first step in providing equal access to sound & music during performing arts & social events. AudioLux visualizes music or other performing arts on LED strips, enabling the DHH community to participate in these events. When applied to performing arts; DHH & hearing audiences respond positively, reporting new appreciation for art mediums previously thought inaccessible. Many state the developments encourage them to attend events & socialize more. DHH artists could follow rhythms & perform alongside hearing peers. Others express a desire to use the technology at home for their entertainment system or even alert/safety systems. The AudioLux was initially created by the president of Cymaspace, Myles DeBastion. Since 2020, client mentor Chet Udell has been collaborating with OSU capstone students to reimagine, redesign, and continually develop new improvements to this open-source platform.

Brief Background on Organization or Client/Sponsor

Chet Udell

Oregon State Professor of Biological and Ecological Engineering, Director of the Openly Published Environmental Sensing Lab. 

Cymaspace

CymaSpace is a nonprofit, Deaf-led Disability Arts & Cultural Hub in Portland, Oregon with the mission of making arts, culture and media accessible and inclusive to the Deaf community through Technology, Education and Outreach. We promote Deaf performers, train media technicians, mentor Disability Artists, and enable the diverse cultural communities that intersect with Deafness to enjoy representation within our organization and at public events throughout Portland and beyond. 

CymaSpace is inspired by the opportunities that cymatics, the study of translating sound waves into visual and tactile phenomena, provides to improve experiences for Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and hearing people. We produce creative technology-driven media for live performances, artistic installations, and video recordings to “make sound visible.” Physically, we enable access through Open Captioning displays, sound activated light systems, and innovative multimedia art. Emotionally, we create opportunities for participants to feel deeply connected to works of art and communal activities that traditionally exclude them. Our work bridges sound—spoken words, sound effects and music—with its sensory partners—written text, light, vibrations, and patterns—to create experiences that resonate with all participants. CymaSpace advocates for the Deaf community by partnering with local and national art

and cultural organizations. Coordination of sign language services and open-captioned technical support provides Deaf people with communication access.We believe in creating an environment of Equity that addresses the needs of Deaf people. We promote Diversity through the intersections of Deafness with other cultures and disability groups. We foster Inclusion to build community between disabled and non-disabled attendees and artists. 

Outcomes

We’re open to student teams applying Universal Design Thinking to broad topics related to this project including:

• Brainstorm, ideate, investigate, and document issues and design solutions from social, technical, environmental science, sustainability, business, and creative perspectives. 
• Market research and/or marketing plan
• Consulting with other technical teams from College of Engineering Senior Capstone conducting focused electrical, computer science, and mechanical design to incorporate broader multidisciplinary perspectives
• Designing a subsystem of some of these devices

Seeking Skills

• Experience with DHH community, Sign Language
• Electric circuit design
• Signals and Systems
• C/C++, Arduino Programming, DSP 
• Webapp, Preact / React, HTML, CSS 
• Music theory, production
• Psychoacoustics
• Human hearing perception
• CAD, 3D printing
• Fashion and wearable technology design
• Visual Art, Digital Media, Installation Design