Author details

Yoga Liu<sup>1</sup> , Rung-Huei Liang<sup>1</sup> , Ya-Han Lee<sup>2</sup> , Yaliang Chuang3 \* and Lin-Lin Chen<sup>3</sup>

\*Address all correspondence to: yaliang@ijdesign.org


### References

	- [5] Pintus AV. Tangible lightscapes. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI '10). New York: ACM; 2010. p. 379-380. DOI: 10.1145/1709886.1709988
	- [6] Szafir D, Mutlu B, Fong T. Communicating directionality in flying robots. In: Proceedings of the 10th Annual ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '15). New York: ACM; 2015. p. 19-26. DOI: 10.1145/2696454.2696475
	- [7] Lee SH, Blake R. Visual form created solely from temporal structure. Science. 1999;284: 1165-1168
	- [8] Thomas F, Johnston O. Illusion of Life. New York: Disney Editions; 2010
	- [9] Deckers E, Wensveen S, Levy P, Ahn R. Designing for perceptual crossing: Designing and comparing three behaviors. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '13). New York: ACM; 2013. p. 1901-1910. DOI: 10.1145/ 2470654.2466251
	- [10] Chuang Y, Liu Y, Chen LL. Design vocabulary for human–IoT systems communication. Manuscript submitted for publication. 2017

**The Perceptual and Experiential Gap - Transcending Acoustics**

[5] Pintus AV. Tangible lightscapes. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI '10). New York: ACM; 2010. p.

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

[6] Szafir D, Mutlu B, Fong T. Communicating directionality in flying robots. In: Proceedings of the 10th Annual ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction

[7] Lee SH, Blake R. Visual form created solely from temporal structure. Science. 1999;284:

[9] Deckers E, Wensveen S, Levy P, Ahn R. Designing for perceptual crossing: Designing and comparing three behaviors. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '13). New York: ACM; 2013. p. 1901-1910. DOI: 10.1145/

[10] Chuang Y, Liu Y, Chen LL. Design vocabulary for human–IoT systems communication.

(HRI '15). New York: ACM; 2015. p. 19-26. DOI: 10.1145/2696454.2696475

[8] Thomas F, Johnston O. Illusion of Life. New York: Disney Editions; 2010

379-380. DOI: 10.1145/1709886.1709988

Manuscript submitted for publication. 2017

1165-1168

2017

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2470654.2466251

**Provisional chapter**

### **HAPTIC: Haptic Anatomical Positioning to Improve Clinical Monitoring Clinical Monitoring**

**HAPTIC: Haptic Anatomical Positioning to Improve** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.71111

Daniel M. Gay-Betton, Parisa Alirezaee, Jeremy R. Cooperstock and Joseph J. Schlesinger Jeremy R. Cooperstock and Joseph J. Schlesinger Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Daniel M. Gay-Betton, Parisa Alirezaee,

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71111

#### **Abstract**

Hospitals are inundated by the sounds of patient monitoring devices and alarms. These are meant to help, yet also create a stressful environment for physicians and patients. To address this issue, we consider the possibility of delivering complementary haptic alarm stimuli via a wearable tactile display. This may reduce the necessity for the plethora of audible alarms in the Intensive Care Unit and Operating Room, potentially decreasing fatigue among clinicians, and improving sleep quality for patients. The study described here sought to determine a suitable anatomical location where such a tactile display could be worn. Although the wrist is an obvious default, based on the success of smartwatches and fitness monitors, wearable devices below the elbow are disallowed in aseptic procedural environments. We hypothesized that haptic perception would be approximately equivalent at the wrist and ankle, and confirmed this experimentally. Thus, for a healthcare setting, we suggest that the ankle is a suitable alternative for the placement of a tactile display.

**Keywords:** multisensory integration, tactile displays, medical alarms, clinical performance, patient monitoring

### **1. Introduction**

Hospital environments (ICU) are stressful in large part due to the proliferation of auditory alarm systems, with a typical multibed care area generating 30 different alarm sounds [1]. Despite advances in medicine, the numerous alarms in the operating room (OR) and intensive care unit (ICU) are mostly unnecessary. With only 17% of alarms having clinical relevance [2, 3], these are more often the cause of information overload, clinician fatigue, and sleep deprivation

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2017 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

among patients [4]. These problems are exacerbated by the high sound pressure level (loudness) of alarms, typically approximately 51 dB, or 15–20 dB louder than the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) [4].

The excessive resulting noise in the OR and ICU can also cause physicians to suffer from alarm fatigue, the phenomenon of diminished response due to desensitization to the alarm stimulus [5]. As a result, alarms no longer serve their purpose, and instead, may place the patient's safety in jeopardy. Alarm fatigue is an issue that must be addressed: the MAUDE database of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported 500 alarm-related patient deaths from 2010 to 2015 [6].

One approach to reduce the negative impact of alarm systems would be to implement a personalized and multimodal system that would combine both auditory and haptic cues to communicate physiological information. The result of adding haptic cues to an auditory interface has been shown to increase the bandwidth of information transfer in complex settings [7]. The question then is where such a display should be placed.

To address this issue, the experiment we describe in this chapter examined human perception with haptic input presented to either the wrist or ankle. The former was chosen because of the current literature and success of wrist-worn devices, such as personal fitness monitors, in the commercial market. However, the wrist is not a feasible option for the OR and ICU setting, due to the need for an aseptic environment. Thus, we examined the ankle as a potential site, as it shares several properties with the wrist, which is easily accessible, and is not subject to the same sterility requirements.

### **2. Literature review**

Tactile displays are tools that use vibrotactile (VT) and electrotactile (ET) stimulation technology to employ the sense of touch for the representation of information [7]. These displays are often used for the purpose of sensory substitution, that is, compensating for missing or impaired sensory functions such as sight. For example, visual cues can be provided through an arrangement of tactor pins that give feedback about the users' surrounding environment [8]. Tactile displays can also be used to augment typical sensory function, e.g., to provide an error signal in the sway of an individual, helping them correct their posture and improve balance [9]. The compensation of impaired sensory function and augmentation of typical sensory function occurs by manipulating vibration frequency patterns to give feedback and encourage a closed-loop communication of tactile input and human response. The vibrational stimuli known as tactons are essentially the tactile equivalent of visual icons. Tactons have a wide array of uses, from medical devices that help guide the visually impaired to the communication of non-visual information in electronic devices.

Both Sato and Gescheider et al. found that vibration perception is affected by two factors: frequency and ambient temperature [10, 11]. The lowest threshold of perception on the fastacting skin receptors was measured in the frequencies of 150–300 Hz under conditions of ambient temperature of 21–26°C [10].

The method of communication via vibrational stimuli has been shown to be an effective manner of attracting attention in a subtle way, especially in loud and crowded environments without other environmental interference [12]. Although tactile displays have had success in locations all over the body, the most common commercial applications involve wearable devices on the wrist. In medical environments such as the OR or ICU, this may be problematic, since the hands and lower arm are often required to be free of any accessories. The WHO recommends surgical hand scrub/preparation using antimicrobial soap and water to maintain the least contamination of the surgical site during a procedure [13]. Any device worn from the elbow and distal toward the hand compromises the hygiene of the surgical environment and yields the possibility of contamination. This motivates our research into tactile displays that could be worn at other body locations than the wrist.

among patients [4]. These problems are exacerbated by the high sound pressure level (loudness) of alarms, typically approximately 51 dB, or 15–20 dB louder than the level recommended

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

The excessive resulting noise in the OR and ICU can also cause physicians to suffer from alarm fatigue, the phenomenon of diminished response due to desensitization to the alarm stimulus [5]. As a result, alarms no longer serve their purpose, and instead, may place the patient's safety in jeopardy. Alarm fatigue is an issue that must be addressed: the MAUDE database of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported 500 alarm-related patient

One approach to reduce the negative impact of alarm systems would be to implement a personalized and multimodal system that would combine both auditory and haptic cues to communicate physiological information. The result of adding haptic cues to an auditory interface has been shown to increase the bandwidth of information transfer in complex settings [7]. The

To address this issue, the experiment we describe in this chapter examined human perception with haptic input presented to either the wrist or ankle. The former was chosen because of the current literature and success of wrist-worn devices, such as personal fitness monitors, in the commercial market. However, the wrist is not a feasible option for the OR and ICU setting, due to the need for an aseptic environment. Thus, we examined the ankle as a potential site, as it shares several properties with the wrist, which is easily accessible, and is not subject to

Tactile displays are tools that use vibrotactile (VT) and electrotactile (ET) stimulation technology to employ the sense of touch for the representation of information [7]. These displays are often used for the purpose of sensory substitution, that is, compensating for missing or impaired sensory functions such as sight. For example, visual cues can be provided through an arrangement of tactor pins that give feedback about the users' surrounding environment [8]. Tactile displays can also be used to augment typical sensory function, e.g., to provide an error signal in the sway of an individual, helping them correct their posture and improve balance [9]. The compensation of impaired sensory function and augmentation of typical sensory function occurs by manipulating vibration frequency patterns to give feedback and encourage a closed-loop communication of tactile input and human response. The vibrational stimuli known as tactons are essentially the tactile equivalent of visual icons. Tactons have a wide array of uses, from medical devices that help guide the visually impaired to the communica-

Both Sato and Gescheider et al. found that vibration perception is affected by two factors: frequency and ambient temperature [10, 11]. The lowest threshold of perception on the fastacting skin receptors was measured in the frequencies of 150–300 Hz under conditions of

by the World Health Organization (WHO) [4].

question then is where such a display should be placed.

tion of non-visual information in electronic devices.

ambient temperature of 21–26°C [10].

deaths from 2010 to 2015 [6].

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the same sterility requirements.

**2. Literature review**

A possible solution to the concerns of asepsis in the OR and ICU with wearable devices was explored by McNulty et al. with a tactile display device worn on the upper arm. An elasticized sleeve with tactors in three distinct positions (upper, middle and lower) communicated physiologic information such as heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) to subjects, who were asked to operate a foot pedal and report the change they noticed in either HR or SpO2 [14]. An integrated display mapped HR to spatial location of the tactor, whereas, SpO2 was mapped temporally to the rate at which the tactors were vibrated.

One of their experiments compared two strategies for conveying heart rate, using two pairs of tactors, located at the upper and lower positions. The first strategy vibrated a single tactor in response to a heart rate that was higher or lower than normal, and vibrated both tactors in the pair for *very* low or *very* high HR. The second strategy vibrated both tactors in the pair for any heart rate higher or lower than normal. Little to no difference in identification accuracy was observed relative to the previous integrated method experiment in which both HR and SpO2 were recorded. The differentiation of high/low and very high/very low resulted in reduced response accuracy. This could be due to the additional cognitive load of discerning whether one or two tactors were producing the vibrational stimuli. The experimenters noted that subjects experienced great difficulty interpreting the location of vibrational stimuli on the arm. This could be attributed to several factors such as tactors being placed too close together.

McNulty et al. also tested a flipped-integrated display, in which heart rate was mapped temporally to the rate at which the tactors were vibrated, whereas oxygen saturation levels were mapped to the tactor location on the arm, thus, the opposite of the mapping strategy adopted for the integrated display trial. However, the flipped-integrated display did not lead to more accurate results. This also could be attributed to issues with the discrimination of spatial information.

A study by Enriquez et al., employing the sense of touch for information representation, demonstrated that the addition of a tactile stimulus to an auditory stimulus can increase the bandwidth of information transfer in complex and data-rich environments [12]. We were thus motivated to test the hypothesis that by integrating auditory and haptic inputs, the auditory threshold of perception could be lowered, allowing for the reduction of alarm volume in the OR and ICU setting. Given the need for sterility of the wrist, we investigated the efficacy of integrating haptic stimuli at the ankle position with a non-speech (medical alarm) auditory

stimulus [15]. The results, however, did not support our hypothesis. Rather, no discernable difference was observed between the measured threshold under auditory-only and auditoryhaptic conditions [15].

A possible factor in McNulty's results, as well as the inconclusive results of our study, may have been the interference of haptic input with the subject's auditory perception. In McNulty's latter experiment, issues were experienced with spatial discrimination due to potential interference between both tactors. Difficulties in the task were also attributed to the interaction between the subject's motor and tactile sensory function. This suggests that interactions between sensory systems must be observed and addressed if multisensory integration is to be exploited in a wearable display device.

Sensory interference may be harder to prove as a confounding factor than finding the perfect combination of sensory input. During auditory-haptic discrimination tasks, where participants indicate perception of unisensory or multisensory stimuli above and below their perceptual threshold, there were an equal number of subjects who were biased toward the auditory stimuli as they were toward the haptic stimuli [16]. Similar factors may have been at play in the lack of significant results seen in our study [15], and we cannot yet offer a conclusion as to whether one modality enhances the perceptual effect of the second modality. This can be attributed to Bayesian inference principles—either the haptic or auditory modality may be imperfect and therefore supported by the other sense to give a complete picture. Due to the random nature of which sensory modality dominates, multisensory integrative displays may have to be tailored to the individual interacting with the display technology.

### **3. Experiment design**

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Before the experiment, the participants signed a consent form and completed a pretest questionnaire consisting of demographic information and whether they have health issues affecting their sense of touch and vibration perception. The subjects (*n* = 9, 6 male, 3 female, ages 21–44 years of age) were members of the Shared Reality Lab in the McConnell Engineering building at McGill University and took part in the study voluntarily. The duration of the experiment was 20 min long and the participants received no compensation for their participation.

To compare haptic perception between two different anatomical locations on the body, we conducted pilot tests in our laboratory environment, using a random double-staircase method. The subject is presented with two staircases: one starts with an intensity above the vibration perception threshold, and the other with an intensity below the threshold. The superiority of this method over the upward staircase method, as used by Williams et al. [17] to measure perception thresholds, has been discussed by Cornsweet [18]. With the upward staircase method, subjects tend to be biased in their subsequent responses after several identical responses.

Each stimulus was delivered randomly within a 10 s window following the previous one. The intensity of the vibration increases when a stimulus is not perceived by the subject and decreases otherwise. To ensure fast convergence of the two staircases, the step size was relatively large at the beginning, and reduced as the two staircases approach. Subjects had to respond within 1 s following stimulus presentation by clicking on a button displayed on the user interface; otherwise it was assumed that the stimulus was not perceived. The threshold measurement was terminated when six reversals were recorded, i.e., after six negative responses followed by a positive one, or vice versa. The threshold was then calculated as the mean of the twelve intensity values over the period covered by the six reversals.

stimulus [15]. The results, however, did not support our hypothesis. Rather, no discernable difference was observed between the measured threshold under auditory-only and auditory-

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

A possible factor in McNulty's results, as well as the inconclusive results of our study, may have been the interference of haptic input with the subject's auditory perception. In McNulty's latter experiment, issues were experienced with spatial discrimination due to potential interference between both tactors. Difficulties in the task were also attributed to the interaction between the subject's motor and tactile sensory function. This suggests that interactions between sensory systems must be observed and addressed if multisensory integration is to be

Sensory interference may be harder to prove as a confounding factor than finding the perfect combination of sensory input. During auditory-haptic discrimination tasks, where participants indicate perception of unisensory or multisensory stimuli above and below their perceptual threshold, there were an equal number of subjects who were biased toward the auditory stimuli as they were toward the haptic stimuli [16]. Similar factors may have been at play in the lack of significant results seen in our study [15], and we cannot yet offer a conclusion as to whether one modality enhances the perceptual effect of the second modality. This can be attributed to Bayesian inference principles—either the haptic or auditory modality may be imperfect and therefore supported by the other sense to give a complete picture. Due to the random nature of which sensory modality dominates, multisensory integrative displays may have to be tailored to the individual interacting with the display technology.

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Before the experiment, the participants signed a consent form and completed a pretest questionnaire consisting of demographic information and whether they have health issues affecting their sense of touch and vibration perception. The subjects (*n* = 9, 6 male, 3 female, ages 21–44 years of age) were members of the Shared Reality Lab in the McConnell Engineering building at McGill University and took part in the study voluntarily. The duration of the experiment was 20 min long and the participants received no compensation for their participation. To compare haptic perception between two different anatomical locations on the body, we conducted pilot tests in our laboratory environment, using a random double-staircase method. The subject is presented with two staircases: one starts with an intensity above the vibration perception threshold, and the other with an intensity below the threshold. The superiority of this method over the upward staircase method, as used by Williams et al. [17] to measure perception thresholds, has been discussed by Cornsweet [18]. With the upward staircase method, subjects tend to be biased in their subsequent responses after several identical responses.

Each stimulus was delivered randomly within a 10 s window following the previous one. The intensity of the vibration increases when a stimulus is not perceived by the subject and

haptic conditions [15].

2017

178

exploited in a wearable display device.

**3. Experiment design**

The vibration stimulus presented in each step of the staircase was generated using a 1-s sine wave at a frequency of 175 Hz, delivered by a Tactile Labs Haptuator Mark I (Montreal, Canada) [19], attached to the ankle by a Velcro strap, as shown in **Figure 1**. The motor was connected to a Sparkfun TP2005D1 audio amplifier (Boulder, CO, USA), and controlled by a script written in MATLAB R2016a (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA).

The independent variable was the choice of delivery location of the vibration: either to the subject's leg or arm, as shown in **Figure 2**. For the leg condition, the strap was attached snugly to the ankle with the exact position of the vibrating motor, chosen to minimize discomfort caused by the vibration. For the arm condition, the position of the vibrating motor on the subject's wrist corresponds to similar placement for watches or fitness monitors. Participants were asked to keep their leg and arm stable when the vibrating band was attached.

During the experiment, pink noise, commonly used to mask background distracting sounds, was delivered to the participants through a pair of Beats Solo3 headphones.

**Figure 1.** The vibrating band used in the study consists of a Haptuator attached to a Velcro strap.

**Figure 2.** Position of the vibrating motor on the participant's ankle and wrist.

### **4. Results**

**Figure 3** illustrates the staircases obtained with the vibrating band attached to the ankle and wrist of one participant. Note that the units of measurement were dependent on the specific combination of equipment and software used.

The threshold and standard deviation of the intensity values over the last six reversals in both cases were calculated, as described above. An ANOVA was then performed to test the influence of position of the display device on the threshold of perception or the standard deviation of perceived intensities during the last six reversals. Excluding the data from one outlier participant who suffered from a wrist injury, the ANOVA showed that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected: device position did not produce a significant difference in either threshold (*p* > 0.1) or standard deviation (*p* > 0.5). These results support our decision to work with the device worn at the ankle position.

### **5. Conclusions**

In the OR and ICU, an aseptic environment is required to prevent potential surgical site infections, which may harm or jeopardize the health and safety of the patient. To ensure an aseptic environment is maintained, all equipment is sterilized and any individual handling the equipment or involved in the surgical procedure must perform a surgical hand scrub. Thus, all wearable devices below the elbow are prohibited as options for a haptic display device. In this study, we have shown that the ankle offers a location for which haptic perception properties are similar to the wrist. It is therefore a more suitable anatomical position for a tactile display device because of the lack of interference with standard surgical sterilization and hygienic practices and guidelines.

Future experiments will test the efficacy of monitoring several different physiologic parameters, such as heart rate, oxygenation, and blood pressure. Communication of important physiologic data via a haptic modality may allow for fewer audible medical alarms as clinicians are aware of the trend of a patient's status and gain a new-found ability to provide proactive and safe patient care.

HAPTIC: Haptic Anatomical Positioning to Improve Clinical Monitoring http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71111 181

**4. Results**

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combination of equipment and software used.

**Figure 2.** Position of the vibrating motor on the participant's ankle and wrist.

device worn at the ankle position.

**5. Conclusions**

safe patient care.

**Figure 3** illustrates the staircases obtained with the vibrating band attached to the ankle and wrist of one participant. Note that the units of measurement were dependent on the specific

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

The threshold and standard deviation of the intensity values over the last six reversals in both cases were calculated, as described above. An ANOVA was then performed to test the influence of position of the display device on the threshold of perception or the standard deviation of perceived intensities during the last six reversals. Excluding the data from one outlier participant who suffered from a wrist injury, the ANOVA showed that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected: device position did not produce a significant difference in either threshold (*p* > 0.1) or standard deviation (*p* > 0.5). These results support our decision to work with the

In the OR and ICU, an aseptic environment is required to prevent potential surgical site infections, which may harm or jeopardize the health and safety of the patient. To ensure an aseptic environment is maintained, all equipment is sterilized and any individual handling the equipment or involved in the surgical procedure must perform a surgical hand scrub. Thus, all wearable devices below the elbow are prohibited as options for a haptic display device. In this study, we have shown that the ankle offers a location for which haptic perception properties are similar to the wrist. It is therefore a more suitable anatomical position for a tactile display device because of the lack of interference with standard surgical sterilization and hygienic practices and guidelines. Future experiments will test the efficacy of monitoring several different physiologic parameters, such as heart rate, oxygenation, and blood pressure. Communication of important physiologic data via a haptic modality may allow for fewer audible medical alarms as clinicians are aware of the trend of a patient's status and gain a new-found ability to provide proactive and

**Figure 3.** Sample staircase of participant's responses to the vibration stimuli delivered to the ankle (top) and wrist (bottom).

### **Author details**

Daniel M. Gay-Betton1,2\*, Parisa Alirezaee2,3, Jeremy R. Cooperstock2,3 and Joseph J. Schlesinger1,2,3

\*Address all correspondence to: daniel.m.gay-betton@vanderbilt.edu

1 Departments of Anesthesiology & Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA

2 Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology, Montreal, Canada

3 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

### **References**


[12] Enriquez M, MacLean KE, Chita C. Haptic phonemes: Basic building blocks of haptic communication. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Multimodal Interfaces (ICMI'06). 1-3 November 2006. Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society; 2006. p. 302-309

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Daniel M. Gay-Betton1,2\*, Parisa Alirezaee2,3, Jeremy R. Cooperstock2,3 and Joseph J. Schlesinger1,2,3

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

1 Departments of Anesthesiology & Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University Medical

2 Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology, Montreal, Canada 3 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

[2] Schmid F, Goepfert MS, Reuter DA. Patient monitoring alarms in the ICU and in the

[3] Cvach M. Monitor alarm fatigue: An integrative review. Biomedical Instrumentation &

[4] Otenio MH, Cremer E, Claro EMT. Noise level in a 222 bed hospital in the 18th health

[5] Edworthy J. Medical audible alarms: A review. Journal of the American Medical

[6] Ruskin KJ, Hueske-Kraus D. Alarm fatigue: Impacts on patient safety. Current Opinion

[7] Jones LA, Sarter NB. Tactile displays: Guidance for their design and application. Human

[8] Shinohara M, Shimizu Y, Mochizuki A. Three-dimensional tactile display for the blind. IEEE Transactions on Rehabilitation Engineering. 1998;**6**(3):249-256. DOI: 10.1109/86.

[9] Kadkade PP, Benda BJ, Schmidt PB, Wall C. Vibrotactile display coding for a balance prosthesis. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.

[10] Gescheider GA, Thorpe JM, Goodarz J, Bolanowski SJ. The effects of skin temperature on the detection and discrimination of tactile stimulation. Somatosensory & Motor

[11] Sato M. Response of Pacinian corpuscles to sinusoidal vibration. The Journal of

[1] Kerr JH. Warning devices. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 1985;**57**(7):696-708

operating room. Critical Care. 2013;**17**(2):216 http://doi.org/10.1186/cc12525

region-pr. Revista Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia. 2007;**73**(2):245-250

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\*Address all correspondence to: daniel.m.gay-betton@vanderbilt.edu


#### **Knowledge in Sound Design: The Silent Electric Vehicle —A Relevant Case Study** Knowledge in Sound Design: The Silent Electric Vehicle—A Relevant Case Study

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.71120

Nicolas Misdariis and Andrea Cera

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Nicolas Misdariis and Andrea Cera

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71120 Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

#### Abstract

This article builds on a large industry-driven sound design experiment focusing on the underexplored area of sound signature for silent electric vehicles. On the basis of some retrospective observations, and in the conceptual framework of design research, we propose a post-analysis that leads to provide insights on sound design as a discipline, considering its status, the status of its performers (sound designers), and its specific position between science and arts. The main aim of the article is to contribute to increase the general knowledge on sound design and to study it from the perspective of its principles, practices, and procedures.

Keywords: sound design, design, science, creation, industry

1. Introduction

This paper builds on a relevant and emblematic case study, the exterior sound signature for silent electric vehicles, in order to draw knowledge on sound design as a "coherent discipline of study in its own right" [1]. We postulate that sound design is a highly polymorphous and heterogeneous practice which still suffers from clarity of definition as well as lack of theoretical knowledge. We put this issue in the larger and conceptual context of design research [2] which will help to propose a formalized approach of the science of sound design, that is, by analogy with the design field [3]—the study of the principles, practices, and procedures of the discipline.

#### 1.1. The case study: silent electric vehicles

In sound design, a recently resurgent industrial object appears to be an emblematic case study: the electric vehicle (EV). This mechanical machine is a moving and silent object in a noisy environment, a kind of Unidentified Moving Object. As such, it leads to global challenges with regards to user experience: co-existence with other noisier vehicles therefore representing a

Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and eproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

danger for elements in the vicinity (e.g. pedestrians), ergonomics for drivers as no audio feedback informs them about the vehicle functioning, and drastic modification of the soundscape, especially in urban context. Despite some propositions for non-sonic solutions [4], the more broadly accepted—and even required [5]—view is that the EV's should produce appropriate synthetic sounds. This is an unexpected windfall for sound designers; it corresponds to a complex problem involving sound quality, ergonomics, esthetics, acceptability, and sound branding. However, some important issues in sound design need to be solved in a joint effort among creation, research, and development: (i) relevance, consistency, and suitability: a controlled sound for a given quiet object; (ii) innovation and creativity: a controlled sound for a fairly new object; (iii) ecology and integration: a controlled sound for a potentially controlled environment. The central question still being: what would be the most appropriate sound for a silent vehicle?

#### 1.2. The context: science of sound design

Today, sound design covers a large range of practices and application fields. As seen on Wikipedia page1 , its origin can be traced to sound-image relationship, the field where the profession was born in the early 70s. But, it can also concern manufactured products (tangible world), human-computer interfaces (digital world), or architectural, environmental, and even commercial spaces (spatial world). Therefore, sound design can correspond to a multiplicity of definitions considering, for instance, sonic material as "an element of user experience" and "a specific manner of embodying design solutions" [6], or more simply, the medium to "make an intention audible" [7].

From this perspective, replacing sound design in the broader scope of design invites opportunities to put this subcategory within a broader reflexion on models of design research (research-by-project versus research-by-creation [8]), concepts of science of design (from scientific design to science of design [3]) and, more globally, issues related to the role of design between the sciences and arts/humanities (design as a "third area" or a third culture, as outlined by Archer [1]). Concretely, this attempt to transpose initial design research paradigms aims at proposing a conceptual framework for the science of sound design and at arguing in three main axes, as outlined by Cross [9] (cited in [2]):


This paper will document these parts with analyses and results of the electric vehicle sound design project that appears to be a relevant observation point for nourishing this investigation.

### 2. Project description: on what we build on

The EV sound design project lasted almost 3 years (2009–2012) and mainly focused on one model of Renault's electric range ("Zoe"). After a formalized presentation of its main inputs, this section will give the synopsis of its process (for further details please refer to [10, 11]).

<sup>1</sup> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound\_design

First, the project was based on several inputs from different sources of inspiration: scientific from a state-of-the-art in the research field, environmental with regards to the context of use, and singular with regards to a specific corpus of inspiration. For the sake of formalization, these inputs may be associated with three different way of reasoning: deduction, induction, and abduction. Several references provide the definitions of these three concepts (see for instance, the Merriam-Webster dictionary webpage<sup>2</sup> ) but the most concise one is seemingly provided by Cross [12], based on the work of the philosopher Peirce [13, 14]: "deduction proves that something must be, induction shows that something actually is operative, abduction suggests that something may be". In accordance with Cross' arguments, this distinction—and especially the statement of the abductive approach—is also a way to highlight a certain specificity of the sound design process.

#### 2.1. Initial inputs: sources of inspiration

danger for elements in the vicinity (e.g. pedestrians), ergonomics for drivers as no audio feedback informs them about the vehicle functioning, and drastic modification of the soundscape, especially in urban context. Despite some propositions for non-sonic solutions [4], the more broadly accepted—and even required [5]—view is that the EV's should produce appropriate synthetic sounds. This is an unexpected windfall for sound designers; it corresponds to a complex problem involving sound quality, ergonomics, esthetics, acceptability, and sound branding. However, some important issues in sound design need to be solved in a joint effort among creation, research, and development: (i) relevance, consistency, and suitability: a controlled sound for a given quiet object; (ii) innovation and creativity: a controlled sound for a fairly new object; (iii) ecology and integration: a controlled sound for a potentially controlled environment. The central

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

Today, sound design covers a large range of practices and application fields. As seen on

profession was born in the early 70s. But, it can also concern manufactured products (tangible world), human-computer interfaces (digital world), or architectural, environmental, and even commercial spaces (spatial world). Therefore, sound design can correspond to a multiplicity of definitions considering, for instance, sonic material as "an element of user experience" and "a specific manner of embodying design solutions" [6], or more simply, the medium to "make an

From this perspective, replacing sound design in the broader scope of design invites opportunities to put this subcategory within a broader reflexion on models of design research (research-by-project versus research-by-creation [8]), concepts of science of design (from scientific design to science of design [3]) and, more globally, issues related to the role of design between the sciences and arts/humanities (design as a "third area" or a third culture, as outlined by Archer [1]). Concretely, this attempt to transpose initial design research paradigms aims at proposing a conceptual framework for the science of sound design and at arguing in

This paper will document these parts with analyses and results of the electric vehicle sound design project that appears to be a relevant observation point for nourishing this investigation.

The EV sound design project lasted almost 3 years (2009–2012) and mainly focused on one model of Renault's electric range ("Zoe"). After a formalized presentation of its main inputs, this section will give the synopsis of its process (for further details please refer to [10, 11]).

, its origin can be traced to sound-image relationship, the field where the

question still being: what would be the most appropriate sound for a silent vehicle?

1.2. The context: science of sound design

three main axes, as outlined by Cross [9] (cited in [2]): • people: status and practices of the sound designers;

2. Project description: on what we build on

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound\_design

• process: innovative methods and tools in sound design;

• products: forms, formats, and status of the designed sounds.

Wikipedia page1

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intention audible" [7].

1

In reference with the seminal works of Schafer [15] and Krause [16], we first looked at the acoustic ecology theory that states the existence of a sonic organization in nature, in order to ensure the audibility of every species. Such structure is found in several dimensions (frequency, intensity, and timbre) or time scales (seasons, day/night cycle) and prevents masking or grouping phenomenons. By analogy, considering, the electric vehicle as a new sound species in a new (urban) ecosystem, we addressed the following questions: what is the structure of the urban soundscape? Are there overloaded zones or, inversely, are zones able to host EV sound signature components, allowing them to emerge in ecological conditions? From analysis of various soundscapes, we then deduced some basic rules either in terms of frequency zones to favor/avoid or temporal morphology to elicit, as follows: a static and ordered sound should be able to emerge by its regularity from the ever changing soundscape (mainly made by irregularities of traditional engines).

Due to the lack of scientific studies on the topic—at least when the project started—it was difficult to do a traditional state-of-the-art review. Nevertheless, we compiled a list of existing works, and in particular, two experimental studies from Wogalter et al. [17] and Nyeste and Wogalter [18] (see [11], for a more detailed review). In their joint studies, they tried to define sound categories that might provide acceptable auditory cues for quiet vehicles, respectively, in terms of object association and acceptability. From these results, we finally induced typical sound categories to be ideally considered: music, whistle, beeps, horn, clicking sounds, exhaust pipe, or engine sounds, and among them, the fact that engine sounds (together with hum and white noise) is the most acceptable and preferred sound type. These conclusions also highlight the difference between functionality and acceptability, especially obvious in the case of the white noise signature.

The lack of scientific references mentioned above led us to explore another source of data: the cinematographic field (science-fiction movie genre dealing with mobility). This unconventional approach was based on the hypothesis that public expectations of the EV's sound—and hence its acceptability—could partially be shaped by the work that sound designers did in this area of motion picture sound production. To a certain extent, this approach can also be seen as abductive reasoning, relying on Cross' comment about this concept: "[a hypothesis] of what

<sup>2</sup> https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/deduction-vs-induction-vs-abduction

may be, the act of producing propsals or conjectures" [12]. We focused on jet sounds of the Lola T70 in THX 1138 [19], gentle drones of converted vintage cars in Gattaca [20] and humming sounds that appear in the next generation vehicles in Back to The Future [21]. For these new forms of engines, we observed that sound designers tended to shy away from reality and gravitate toward more synthesized sounds including drone-like, continuous sounds with timbral qualities adapted to the vehicle's shape and performance. Nonetheless, even if they could also be used for other percepts (e.g. fluidity in [22]), examples coming from motion pictures must be considered carefully. Their caricatural and ephemeral nature (conveying clear meaning in few seconds) contrasts greatly with the more ubiquitous and constant sonic presence of a car sounds in everyday life.

#### 2.2. Project chronicle: synopsis

For the project, different modes of interaction with the industrial partner were implemented: a decision committee from different departments (Product, Engineering, and Design), an expert team involving key persons from the project and a technical group mainly in charge of the development phase. On this basis, around 100 successive propositions (see [23] for details) were made using a mixed empirical and methodological approach: on one hand, a trial-anderror paradigm mainly driven by the expert team, and on the other hand, evaluations produced by the technical group or resulting from standard experimental procedures. In fact, at a certain stage of the project, two types of listening tests were conducted in order to: (i) assess the functionality of the propositions, that is, their ability to signify the approach and the presence of the vehicle and (ii) qualify the propositions in terms of hedonic judgment, emotional response, and evocation.

From a global point of view, the synopsis of the process that leads to the industrialized solution can be described with the following steps (see [10, 23] for a more detailed description):


<sup>3</sup> https://cycling74.com

the control laws of the sound engine and to do the fine tuning of the sound materials, especially with regards to medium-low frequencies.

• implementation: the final results of our research results which included translation of sound engine prototypes, were embedded in a chip rendered via EEPROM native languages.

### 3. Post analysis: what we learned

may be, the act of producing propsals or conjectures" [12]. We focused on jet sounds of the Lola T70 in THX 1138 [19], gentle drones of converted vintage cars in Gattaca [20] and humming sounds that appear in the next generation vehicles in Back to The Future [21]. For these new forms of engines, we observed that sound designers tended to shy away from reality and gravitate toward more synthesized sounds including drone-like, continuous sounds with timbral qualities adapted to the vehicle's shape and performance. Nonetheless, even if they could also be used for other percepts (e.g. fluidity in [22]), examples coming from motion pictures must be considered carefully. Their caricatural and ephemeral nature (conveying clear meaning in few seconds) contrasts greatly with the more ubiquitous and constant sonic

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

For the project, different modes of interaction with the industrial partner were implemented: a decision committee from different departments (Product, Engineering, and Design), an expert team involving key persons from the project and a technical group mainly in charge of the development phase. On this basis, around 100 successive propositions (see [23] for details) were made using a mixed empirical and methodological approach: on one hand, a trial-anderror paradigm mainly driven by the expert team, and on the other hand, evaluations produced by the technical group or resulting from standard experimental procedures. In fact, at a certain stage of the project, two types of listening tests were conducted in order to: (i) assess the functionality of the propositions, that is, their ability to signify the approach and the presence of the vehicle and (ii) qualify the propositions in terms of hedonic judgment, emo-

From a global point of view, the synopsis of the process that leads to the industrialized solution

• sound synthesis: given the specifications, a four-buffer wavetable synthesis controlled by the vehicle speed was chosen. And because of the strong interactivity component of the project, a prototype of this sound engine was developed in the Max3 audio signal processing

• sound rendering: as traditional stereo setup did not appear to be realistic enough, an immersive device was developed (quadraphony + Spat© [24]) resulting in more flexible and realistic representation of sound trajectories within urban soundscapes. However, as the visuals also seemed to be crucial—above all for sound/object association—we added

• prototypes: during the project, a mixed form of prototyping was tested out. First, we embedded the whole setup (sources, amplifier, and loudspeaker) in a common electrified vehicle. This allowed us to get actual acoustic dimension of that target environment and a direct usage feedback, especially with regards to this sound/object association. Second, we considered the successive prototypes of the target EV itself (Zoe). This allowed us to check

can be described with the following steps (see [10, 23] for a more detailed description):

presence of a car sounds in everyday life.

2.2. Project chronicle: synopsis

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tional response, and evocation.

real-time environment.

3

https://cycling74.com

graphics to the rendering system.

In the previous section, we gave a summary of the EV sound design project focusing on its uniqueness and complexity. In this section, we will formalize what we learned from this experience in order to contribute to a better definition of sound design as a discipline. Our analysis thus follows a structure and research design approach proposed by Cross [9] that focuses on acquiring knowledge on "people" (sound design epistemology), "process" (sound design methods), and "products" (sound design artifacts) (cited in [2]).

#### 3.1. Knowledge on people: status of the sound designer

The project chronicle described above shows a complex process involving human interaction and technical issues for achieving an industrialized solution. In this context, the question of the amount of space left for individual creativity and authorship naturally arises. What is the role of the sound designer in a network of people who not only decide on, but also contribute to the design process?

A first attempt to answer this question could point out the ability of opening multiple versions of a work and creating a labyrinth of links where the network can slowly navigate until a given destination is reached. This ability to open does not only mean that the sound designer has to create as many sounds as the collective asks for him. For some serious issues, he also has to put aside his convictions about what a good sound should be and to embrace new esthetic parameters, especially when a conventional valid rule could be void in a particular context. On the other hand, he sometimes has to show the ability to work pedagogically by producing sounds able to explain that what is driven by curiosity may not be optimal—in other words, convince co-workers through efficient demonstrations. In both cases, the sound designer has to approach his peers with a stealthy attitude, a self-effacing posture which assures that every voice of the network is considered and that light or heavy issues are treated with the same respect.

An example of simple curiosity was the request to create a musical sound-logo as the EV sound signature. It seemed clear that this request was doomed to failure for annoyance, intrusivity, and ecology reasons. Nonetheless, instead of simply rejecting this idea, we created a small number of sound-logos and had them approved by the expert team. But after having implemented them on a prototype, our partners immediately pointed out the awkwardness of the result and proposed an alternative: to use the sound-logo only when the car is at idle and to switch to a continuous sound bearing timbral similarity with the sound-logo when the car is in motion. This second idea was also rejected, but it allowed us to experiment the possibilities of a clear harmonic content in continuous sounds. Finally, some of these findings migrated to the final result: without this detour, they would not have been included at all. Moreover, the partner was definitely convinced that musical metaphors must be used very carefully.

An example of serious issue was the use of discrete, granular, or highly impulsive sounds (clicks). From our perspective, a sound having some roughness, granularity, micro-rhythmicity in the upper spectral registers would have been a good candidate for spatial localization. But every time we proposed these kinds of sounds, we encountered clear resistance from our partners. We understood the nature of the problem when we learned that many professionals from the automotive industry share an instinctive aversion for anything sounding like an audible vibration, regardless of sound type. In other words, this feeling seemed to be embedded in their overall evaluation system: a car has to project an aural image of smoothness.

As these examples show, the presence of a didactic and self-effacing author is essential. In the first case, to ensure a convincing quality of the sound-logos, in the second case, to rebound from the rejection of propositions, and to learn how to use scalable constraints for creating relevant evolutions of original ideas.

#### 3.2. Knowledge on process: status of the sound design

For nearly 15 years, research in sound design has tended to formalize tools, methodologies, and concepts that enrich its disciplinary field (see [25] for a detailed review). Among these developments, a project methodology has been defined by the Ircam's PDS team. This approach, coming from a standard 'V' cycle model, is composed of three steps: 'Analysis' (of the problem), 'Conception' (of solutions), and 'Validation' (of propositions). It also involves a retroactive loop that enables the methodology to iterate the conception step from the validation results in order to propose new solutions better fitting with the initial problem (Figure 1). This approach turned out to be relevant from a conceptual point of view and was implemented several times in our academic research [26] and pedagogical actions [27].

Thus, with regards to its unprecedented object (electric vehicle) and its strong industrial connotation (mass production), the present study gives the opportunity to provide analytical insights into this methodology and, in a way, provide frame to assess its level of practicability in realistic contexts.

Figure 1. Sound design methodology, from Ircam/PDS team.

As previously mentioned, the 'Analysis' step could not have been achieved in a traditional manner due to the topic specificity. Getting information on what already existed in terms of the EV's sound signature was almost impossible because of the rather pioneering position of the project and forced us to look at other disciplines such as the moving image industry. Then, we did not really induce acoustic specifications from existing EV signal specimens but rather stated hypothesis from the collected marginal data. Nevertheless, this somewhat unusual approach had a positive side-effect opening up creative opportunities due to the lack of historical examples in the field. In fact, trying to expand the present is oftentimes less innovative than starting from the ground up. This is, in substance, what Hug claims—in the field of game sound design—about the "simulation of reality" and the necessity to go beyond this "unnecessary limitation" in order to propose "new directions of innovation" [28].

On another hand, the 'Evaluation' step was likewise altered due to our uniquely defined research setting. In fact, the theoretical process contains a feedback loop that increments a conception-validation module: conception being iterated in the light of validation results compared to the initial specifications. In practice, this step often mutates into a selection step (rather than an iterative evaluation), primarily due to time and cost constraints. Thus, the refinement process, expected from this loop, is more a funnel-shaped approach where propositions are successively selected on the basis of both objective measurements—coming from experiments—and subjective assessments—coming from decisions. To summarize, the evaluation step rather appears to be delivering advisory outputs instead of prescribing and guiding additional conception rounds, in practice.

#### 3.3. Knowledge on products: status of the designed sound

Finally, an interesting validation of the designed EV sound signature occurred a few years after the end of the project, in 2014, showing the legitimacy of a complete and controlled sound design approach for such a complex framework.

In 2011, an important three-year European project called eVADER<sup>4</sup> aggregated a mixed consortium of various research labs, automotive industry partners, and suppliers to work on electric vehicle alert system for detection and emergency response. The main goal of this project was to propose and develop a sustainable answer to the issue of the EV's sound, which additionally provided an experimental framework for further legal specifications.

One specific task undertaken during this project was to propose the design of experimental stimuli built on acoustic parameters and rules based on relevant perceptual and cognitive principles including auditory sensitivity, stream segregation, masking or saliency and, more generally, on the auditory warning strategies compiled from the state-of-the-art (see [29]). The experimental part of this work conducted listening tests with regards to two main criteria: detectability measured by a response time protocol and unpleasantness assessed on a semantic scale (see [30, 31] for further details). The results of these tests finally led to locate in a detectability/unpleasantness space the basic rule-based stimuli (Figure 2).

in motion. This second idea was also rejected, but it allowed us to experiment the possibilities of a clear harmonic content in continuous sounds. Finally, some of these findings migrated to the final result: without this detour, they would not have been included at all. Moreover, the

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

An example of serious issue was the use of discrete, granular, or highly impulsive sounds (clicks). From our perspective, a sound having some roughness, granularity, micro-rhythmicity in the upper spectral registers would have been a good candidate for spatial localization. But every time we proposed these kinds of sounds, we encountered clear resistance from our partners. We understood the nature of the problem when we learned that many professionals from the automotive industry share an instinctive aversion for anything sounding like an audible vibration, regardless of sound type. In other words, this feeling seemed to be embedded in their overall evaluation system: a car has to project an aural image of smoothness.

As these examples show, the presence of a didactic and self-effacing author is essential. In the first case, to ensure a convincing quality of the sound-logos, in the second case, to rebound from the rejection of propositions, and to learn how to use scalable constraints for creating

For nearly 15 years, research in sound design has tended to formalize tools, methodologies, and concepts that enrich its disciplinary field (see [25] for a detailed review). Among these developments, a project methodology has been defined by the Ircam's PDS team. This approach, coming from a standard 'V' cycle model, is composed of three steps: 'Analysis' (of the problem), 'Conception' (of solutions), and 'Validation' (of propositions). It also involves a retroactive loop that enables the methodology to iterate the conception step from the validation results in order to propose new solutions better fitting with the initial problem (Figure 1). This approach turned out to be relevant from a conceptual point of view and was implemented

Thus, with regards to its unprecedented object (electric vehicle) and its strong industrial connotation (mass production), the present study gives the opportunity to provide analytical insights into this methodology and, in a way, provide frame to assess its level of practicability

relevant evolutions of original ideas.

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in realistic contexts.

3.2. Knowledge on process: status of the sound design

Figure 1. Sound design methodology, from Ircam/PDS team.

several times in our academic research [26] and pedagogical actions [27].

partner was definitely convinced that musical metaphors must be used very carefully.

<sup>4</sup> http://www.evader-project.eu

Figure 2. Detectability versus unpleasantness obtained after perceptual experiments in eVADER project (taken from [32] —with the agreement of the author). Black points (•) indicate results from a first experiment only involving basic stimuli. Red points (•) indicate results from a second experiment including the "Brand Sound". The green zone represents the "better compromise between detectability and unpleasantness".

In the final phases of eVADER project [32], the basic stimuli were mixed with the sound signature resulting from the project reported in the present article (called "Brand Sound"). As a result, this last test showed that the brand sound seemed to be better—or at least equally well —positioned in the data space than most of the inital basic stimuli enabling it to be fully included in the sweet zone corresponding to an optimal combination of both detection and pleasantness (Figure 2).

In a summary, these findings point towards to important observations: first, that (well) designed sounds can bear comparison with laboratory stimuli, that is, sounds designed on the basis of formal rules. And second, that the sound design process—that is, the integration of an artistic practice into a scientific/technical approach—can augment the conception of sound signals, moreover compatible with both functional and esthetics needs. This result can also promote the idea of a "designerly way of thinking" in sound design, inherited from the concept stated in the broader discipline of design [33]. In fact, this somewhat illustrates one argument from Cross' seminal paper: the specific values of the design culture ("practicality, ingenuity, empathy") especially compared to those of the scientific culture ("objectivity, rationality, neutrality").

### 4. Conclusions

The project dealing with sound signature of electric vehicle led to collaboration between partners in the automotive industry, a research team, and a composer. It resulted in the implementation of a realistic and controlled sound design solution on an industrial product.

The range and richness of this research-by-project approach—as defined by Vial [2]—are mainly due to the uniqueness of the topic: to give a sound to an ideally silent object. It highlights elements of an applied research in sound design by opening questions about various issues induced by the discipline, such as status of the sound designer and designed sound, or the relevance of sound design methods. Consequently, it also provides opportunities for further thought on sound design by trying to put it in the larger context of design—its founding discipline—and observing it through the prism of the science of sound design.

### Author details

Nicolas Misdariis<sup>1</sup> \* and Andrea Cera<sup>2</sup>


### References

In the final phases of eVADER project [32], the basic stimuli were mixed with the sound signature resulting from the project reported in the present article (called "Brand Sound"). As a result, this last test showed that the brand sound seemed to be better—or at least equally well —positioned in the data space than most of the inital basic stimuli enabling it to be fully included in the sweet zone corresponding to an optimal combination of both detection and

Figure 2. Detectability versus unpleasantness obtained after perceptual experiments in eVADER project (taken from [32] —with the agreement of the author). Black points (•) indicate results from a first experiment only involving basic stimuli. Red points (•) indicate results from a second experiment including the "Brand Sound". The green zone represents the

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

In a summary, these findings point towards to important observations: first, that (well) designed sounds can bear comparison with laboratory stimuli, that is, sounds designed on the basis of formal rules. And second, that the sound design process—that is, the integration of an artistic practice into a scientific/technical approach—can augment the conception of sound signals, moreover compatible with both functional and esthetics needs. This result can also promote the idea of a "designerly way of thinking" in sound design, inherited from the concept stated in the broader discipline of design [33]. In fact, this somewhat illustrates one argument from Cross' seminal paper: the specific values of the design culture ("practicality, ingenuity, empathy") especially compared to those of the scientific culture ("objectivity, rationality, neu-

The project dealing with sound signature of electric vehicle led to collaboration between partners in the automotive industry, a research team, and a composer. It resulted in the implementation of a realistic and controlled sound design solution on an industrial product. The range and richness of this research-by-project approach—as defined by Vial [2]—are mainly due to the uniqueness of the topic: to give a sound to an ideally silent object. It highlights

pleasantness (Figure 2).

"better compromise between detectability and unpleasantness".

trality").

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4. Conclusions

	- [11] Misdariis N, Cera A. Sound signature of quiet vehicles: State of the art and experience feedbacks. In: Proceedings of the Internoise Conference; 15-18 September 2013; Innsbruck, Austria.
	- [12] Cross N. Design Thinking: Understanding how Designers Think and Work. 1st ed. Oxford: Berg Publishers; 2011
	- [13] Peirce CS. Abduction and induction. Philosophical Writings of Peirce. 1955;11
	- [14] Fann KT. Peirce's Theory of Abduction. Springer Science & Business Media; 2012
	- [15] Schafer RM. The tuning of the world. 1st ed. Vol. 1977. New-York: A. Knopf Ed. 301 p
	- [16] Krause BL. The niche hypothesis: A virtual symphony of animal sounds, the origins of musical expression and the health of habitats. The Soundscape Newsletter. 1993;6:6-10
	- [17] Wogalter M, Ornan R, Lim R, Chipley M. On the risk of quiet vehicles to pedestrians and drivers. In: Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; 8-12 October 2001; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
	- [18] Nyeste P, Wogalter M. On adding sound to quiet vehicles. In: Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; 22-26 September 2008; New-York, USA.
	- [19] Lucas G. THX 1138 [film]. USA: American Zoetrope, Warner Bros; 1971
	- [20] Niccol A. Gattaca [film]. USA: Columbia Pictures Corporation; 1997
	- [21] Zemeckis R. Back to the Future—Part II [Film]. USA: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, U-Drive Productions; 1989
	- [22] Alborno P, Cera A, Piana S, Mancini M, Niewiadomski R, Canepa C, Volpe G, Camurri A. Interactive sonification of movement qualities – A case study on fluidity. In: Proceedings of ISon 2016, 5th Interactive Sonification Workshop; 2016.
	- [23] Misdariis N, Cera A. Recherche-projet en design sonore: le cas emblématique du véhicule électrique. Sciences du Design. 2017;1:115-130
	- [24] Jot JM, Warusfel O. Spat: A spatial processor for musicians and sound engineers. In: Proceedings of the Conference on Acoustics and Musical Research; 19-21 May 1995; Ferrara, Italy.
	- [25] Rochesso D. Sounding objects in Europe. The New Soundtrack Journal. 2014;4(2):157-164
	- [26] Tardieu J. De l'ambiance à l'information sonore dans un espace public : méthodologie et réalisation appliquées aux gares [thesis]. Paris, France: Université Pierre et Marie Curie; 2006
	- [27] Houix O, Misdariis N, Susini P, Bevilacqua F, Gutierrez F. Sonically augmented artifacts: Design methodology through participatory workshops. In: International Symposium on Computer Music Modeling and Retrieval. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS), 2014; pp. 20-40. Springer International Publishing

[28] Hug D. New wine in new skins: Sketching the future of game sound design. In Grimshaw M. Director. Game Sound Technology and Player Interaction: Concepts and Developments. 1st ed. Hershey: IGI Global (New-York, USA; 2010. p. 384-415. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61692- 828-5.

[11] Misdariis N, Cera A. Sound signature of quiet vehicles: State of the art and experience feedbacks. In: Proceedings of the Internoise Conference; 15-18 September 2013; Innsbruck,

Proceedings of the Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement - Sense and Sensitivity, DeSForM

[12] Cross N. Design Thinking: Understanding how Designers Think and Work. 1st ed.

[13] Peirce CS. Abduction and induction. Philosophical Writings of Peirce. 1955;11

ics Society; 8-12 October 2001; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

[19] Lucas G. THX 1138 [film]. USA: American Zoetrope, Warner Bros; 1971

[20] Niccol A. Gattaca [film]. USA: Columbia Pictures Corporation; 1997

of ISon 2016, 5th Interactive Sonification Workshop; 2016.

électrique. Sciences du Design. 2017;1:115-130

2014; pp. 20-40. Springer International Publishing

[14] Fann KT. Peirce's Theory of Abduction. Springer Science & Business Media; 2012

[15] Schafer RM. The tuning of the world. 1st ed. Vol. 1977. New-York: A. Knopf Ed. 301 p

[16] Krause BL. The niche hypothesis: A virtual symphony of animal sounds, the origins of musical expression and the health of habitats. The Soundscape Newsletter. 1993;6:6-10

[17] Wogalter M, Ornan R, Lim R, Chipley M. On the risk of quiet vehicles to pedestrians and drivers. In: Proceedings of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonom-

[18] Nyeste P, Wogalter M. On adding sound to quiet vehicles. In: Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; 22-26 September 2008;

[21] Zemeckis R. Back to the Future—Part II [Film]. USA: Universal Pictures, Amblin Enter-

[22] Alborno P, Cera A, Piana S, Mancini M, Niewiadomski R, Canepa C, Volpe G, Camurri A. Interactive sonification of movement qualities – A case study on fluidity. In: Proceedings

[23] Misdariis N, Cera A. Recherche-projet en design sonore: le cas emblématique du véhicule

[24] Jot JM, Warusfel O. Spat: A spatial processor for musicians and sound engineers. In: Proceedings of the Conference on Acoustics and Musical Research; 19-21 May 1995;

[25] Rochesso D. Sounding objects in Europe. The New Soundtrack Journal. 2014;4(2):157-164 [26] Tardieu J. De l'ambiance à l'information sonore dans un espace public : méthodologie et réalisation appliquées aux gares [thesis]. Paris, France: Université Pierre et Marie Curie;

[27] Houix O, Misdariis N, Susini P, Bevilacqua F, Gutierrez F. Sonically augmented artifacts: Design methodology through participatory workshops. In: International Symposium on Computer Music Modeling and Retrieval. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS),

Austria.

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New-York, USA.

Ferrara, Italy.

2006

tainment, U-Drive Productions; 1989

Oxford: Berg Publishers; 2011


Provisional chapter
