SONIC MICROSCOPE

By Shreyasi Kar

A microscope pen sends information through a synthesizer and sequencer, allowing users to explore the microscopic world through sound.

Using open source and DIY electronics, Sonic Microscope translates what it sees into sound. It creates “pixel watchers” which constantly scan the image for changes in brightness, colours and movements of objects and organisms in the frame. Patterns in appearance and behaviour create signature sounds for each subject. Sonic Microscopecreates new dimensions for exploring and interacting with parts of our surroundings that generally remain invisible and hidden.

The idea behind creating such tools is to encourage people to investigate and create new experiences that question our understanding of what surrounds us. The Sonic Microscope has been used over the past year for extensively mapping landscapes in Finland.

EXHIBITOR BIOGRAPHY

Shreyasi is an Indian artist and designer based in Helsinki, Finland. Her work is rooted in developing open tools and platforms to make the life-sciences more relevant, engaging, and accessible to a wider public. She is currently pursuing her Master's in New Media Design and Production, with Culture, Empathy and Technology as her area of research.

LINKS

Website: shreyasi.in

Instagram: @shreyasikar

CREDITS

Sonic Microscope

Qtfm1 by Martin Brinkmann under CC-BY-SA license

Raspi 7” Touchscreen Laser Cut Enclosure by pyrohmstr is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial license.

Matti Niinimäki for oFx advice