Research Colloquium at SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology in Surrey presents

Alissa Antle and Tamara Smyth

SFU faculty presenters

Wednesday January 24, 2007 at 1:30 pm

Room 14-400, SFU Surrey Campus, 14th floor Central City Tower

Alissa Antle

Title: Child Tangible Interaction - What do we need to know?

Abstract:

Dr. Alissa Antle will discuss her research which explores the development of tangibles and mixed reality environments that support the underlying processes of children's cognitive development. Alissa’s current research program builds on her recent work adapting methods from human computer interaction to children and investigating how cognitive and embodied processes can be used to design highly interactive environments. By embedding sensors in everyday objects, tracking the movement of these objects, and using them as controls for the display of images and sounds that help to explain real world phenomena, she creates situations where children can successfully make the transition through the stages of cognitive development. This type of early stage research, which grounds the development of new technologies in understandings of perceptual, cognitive and embodied processes, is a critical precursor to the intelligent and human centred development of sensor-based tangibles and other mixed reality environments. Alissa will conclude her talk with some playful demonstrations of her previous industry work.

Bio:

Alissa Antle, B.A., B.A. Sc., Ph.D.

Dr. Alissa Antle is an assistant professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology. Her research interests include the design and evaluation of interactive media and mixed reality for play and informal learning. Before joining SFU, Alissa ran her own consulting company specializing in the development of convergent media experiences for children. She was the executive producer and creative director of the CBC4Kids.ca redevelopment which included the first North American fully integrated television and web based show targeted to children, Spy Kids. Alissa has also worked with clients including CBC Children’s Television, CBC Radio 3, Studio B Productions’ Yvon of the Yukon (Y TV) and Mimi (CBC) series, Pop6 Media’s Inuk cartoon series (ABC) and Vancouver’s Arts Umbrella Digital Media Program. Before setting out on her own she was the senior producer at Brainium Technologies overseeing the design and development of award winning productions including Science Brainium; Science World’s Seeing is Believing and Dogzilla Versus the Carbonator; Rick Hansen Kids; and Pearson’s interactive science series. She has served as an advisor for NASA’s Online Learning Program and sat on the board of the Canadian Wired Women Society.

Alissa’s work has been recognized by organizations including the Canadian New Media Awards, New Media Invision Awards (GOLD), Parent’s Choice Foundation, SIIA Codie Awards, Macromedia Site of the Day, Flash Forward, Netscape Cool Sitings, Family Corner. com Fun Site and Educating.net Cool Site.

In her spare time, Alissa hangs out with her boys Levi and Aden and dreams of a world without email.

Alissa Antle SIAT website

Tamara Smyth

Title: An introduction to Computer Music and Sound Synthesis

Abstract:

How do computers produce sound? How can we use computers to create virtual musical instruments? Is there a difference between the two?

A computer, or digital, representation of music involves the use of numbers... lots and lots of numbers! It can be produced by a recording, delivered to you in the form of a CD or MP3, and can also be created, or "synthesized", from scratch, using nothing more than your home computer. Starting with some fundamental principles of acoustics, and by drawing on several algorithms designed to enhance, alter, or synthesize audio signals, we will gain an understanding of how a computer may be used for more than just playing recorded sound.

The field of Computer Music draws on the relationship between music theory and mathematics, a relationship as old as the existence of either discipline. From this root, Computer Music applies new and existing technologies to many different areas, including, but not limited to, sound synthesis, digital audio, musical acoustics, psychoacoustics, composition, music theory, and performance systems.

Bio:

Tamara Smyth is Assistant Professor of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. Previously, she served as the Technical Director of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustic (CCRMA) at Stanford University, after completing a Ph.D is Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics, and a Ph.D minor in Electrical Engineering,under the supervision of Julius O. Smith. Tamara also holds degrees in Music from McGill University (Piano Performance and Computer Applications to Music) and New York University (Music Technology). Tamara's research merges the areas of physical modelling synthesis, digital signal processing, musical acoustics and human computer interaction, for the development of new musical instrument technology and interactive sound sources. Her work is presented regularly at conferences world-wide.

Tamara Smyth website