Brumm, brumm - Commotion

2004

Bram Dauw (CH)
Alexandre Armand (CH)

Hairpin curves, white-knuckle rides, breathtaking acceleration—at the Ars Electronica Center, anybody can try his/her hand as a Formula 1 driver. The one who does the best job of imitating the sounds made by the car’s supercharged engine is the winner!

Two contestants, two interfaces and two racecars—and it’s “Gentlemen, start your engines!” A microphone built into each “driver’s” helmet records the volume of the sounds each makes imitating a racing motor. A computer program translates this into real acceleration of two electrical cars on a Carrera slot car racetrack. At high speeds, the “driver” gets shaken up just like in a real race.

The challenge is to vocally regulate the acceleration in such a way that the racecar can avoid a crash—or maneuver back onto the track after spinning out in a curve—but still complete the lap in the fastest possible time and be the first to take the checkered flag.

This installation is a great example of the potential of new approaches to interaction design. For example, instead of restricting games to the computer screen and forcing the user to utilize primarily manual steering elements, the PC in the case of “Brumm, Brumm – Commotion” is an analog implementation device that creates a multi-sensorial technical environment. The human-machine interface that is entirely integrated into the game offers players and viewers alike a completely new experience.

The interactive installation “Brumm, brumm – Commotion” was created in December 2003 during a one-week workshop at the Institute for Media & Interaction Design of the Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL) in Switzerland.

Produced at ECAL MID (http://ecal-mid.kaywa.com/c4.html) with programming support from FUR (http://www.fursr.com/) and Jerôme Rigaud (http://www.anti-chambre.net/).