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Background
In the past decade we have seen more and more human based computation games, that create a collective database of useful and important information. This process of outsourcing collective knowledge is done in a fun and entertaining way- so people don't feel like it's a hassle to contribute. Projects of this sort have already reached millions of users in fields like image labeling, voice recognition and ancient text recognition, it has yet to be done in an extensive way for sounds.
Soundscape is a Solution
Soundscape is a social, user-content driven application that collects environmental noises in the city, by playing a viral game. With the ubiquity of cellular phones in today’s society, it is finally possible, utilizing these personal mobile platforms, for each of us to contribute to a database of urban sounds that surround us, and eventually take part in creating a better informed society.
What Else is Out There?
There are many projects across the web that use human collective intelligence to map information through games. Some of these games with a purpose (GWAP) have reached millions of people around the world. Projects like ESP Games, Foldit and Captcha brought the concept of unconsciously collecting knowledge from millions by playing games.
In the field of sound recording there are several projects that provide maps of urban sounds, and a few applications that provide live sound measurement maps. Most of these applications deal with sound at an extremely technical level, measuring the physical aspects of sound such as DB levels and providing reference noises at each level – for example, recording a car horn with one application may provide information that the “recorded sound level is 51 DBa”.
In the field of sound recording there are several projects that provide maps of urban sounds, and a few applications that provide live sound measurement maps. Most of these applications deal with sound at an extremely technical level, measuring the physical aspects of sound such as DB levels and providing reference noises at each level – for example, recording a car horn with one application may provide information that the “recorded sound level is 51 DBa”.
Soundscape’s Solution – Data Visualization
“Before you were blind, now you can see”
Soundscape’s goal is to present the complex, multi-layered information obtained from mapping sounds in a way that is approachable and understandable by laymen. In fact, there is no need to use the technical output from the recording microphone about noise levels – our bodies are complex measurement devices, providing us with instant, realtime analysis of noises we hear. Soundscape facilitates the process by providing a platform to save and later access the data that we constantly feel in an intuitive map interface. This will allow users to understand their urban acoustic experience on a deeper level, and help them make decisions to improve this experience.
Vision
Creating a database of sounds that will make sounds and noises as reachable as Google images, in order to help research and development of sound technologies.
Soundscape in the Global Perspective – a Multicultural Phenomenon
Sounds in general, and urban sounds are not a local phenomenon. They unite many different citizens across countries all over the globe – the same traffic sounds in Tel Aviv that drive its inhabitants crazy are disturbing citizens of New York, Tokyo, London or any large metropolitan area in the world. The universality of urban sounds allows Soundscape to be relevant not only in Israel but across the entire globe. Moreover, the ability to collect and analyze data from different areas of the world may provide interesting and amazing patterns that were not visible on local scales.