Samples, continuous exploration of the auditory space allowed for an Rather than selecting from a pre-defined set of sound
Interactive physical interface was coupled to a frequency modulation Version of a Product Sound Sketching Tool was provided, in which an Sound texture with a visual texture displayed onscreen. Prepared: one set taken from the CUReT database, and one set synthesized The use of sound was explored as means for expressing perceptualĪttributes of visual textures. Therefore, ESA teamed up with Delft University of Technology and Plymouth University in order to investigate and design a new auditory display for the control rooms located in the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), in Darmstadt, Germany
Similarly, switching cost from auditory perception to visual perception while finding the source of the information is undesirable when time can be a precious commodity for operators when monitoring valuable spacecraft. Operators depend heavily on the graphical interfaces in order to pinpoint the source of alarm sounds (see Fig. Today, in monitoring and control systems (MCS) currently in use at the European Space Agency (ESA), there is no care to convey information in the sounds, and these alarm sounds have not been systematically designed to indicate the type of system failure and further elicit the desired and accurate operator response. Trained operators could tell, from the length and rhythm of the printer noise, what kind of alarm it was and therefore infer the criticality or the subject. In the old days, spacecraft alarming notifications to operators were directed, upon arrival to ground, to one of those needle printers.