The Earth Bits Data Sonification

Live act rehearsal in Milan

15/06/2021

Planet Earth is talking to us, now more than ever. And it is doing so through multiple voices to inform us about the climate transition we are witnessing.

Dotdotdot

The interactive installation Earth Bits – Sensing the Planetary features an immersive sound experience which is activated by the audience through the “CO₂ Mixer” console, created and developed that Dotdotdot.

The calculation of individual environmental impact is translated into an audio mix within a spectrum of musical scales that range from “good” to “bad” managed by the seriousness controller, which has been developed to build an infinite emotional sound palette. The procedural sound changes as the polyhedric sound dimension parameters change, by modifying the BPM (beats per minute), the time envelope, the timbre, the harmony and the intonation.

The musical spectrum encompasses negative and positive connotations that mirror the impact level of individual inputs – accelerating the rhythmical accents, emphasising the frenzy and sharpening the timbre as the carbon footprint increases. Since data sonification is a real-time synthesis, the score is not written a priori; rather it is a system designed so that the sounds and the compositions will constantly vary, providing an ever-changing experience.

Data sonification sketch scheme by Dotdotdot

Rough sketch of the "Earth Bits" data sonification project" by Dotdotdot, 2021.

Earth Bits – Sensing the Planetary is a data-driven installation developed by the research and interaction design studio Dotdotdot that unpacks the complexities of the climate science measuring humankind’s carbon footprint through graphic and digital content, animated videos and an interactive station.
Developed with the scientific support of the European Space Agency (ESA), International Energy Agency (IEA) and EDP Innovation, the installation demonstrates how the mundane flux of human outputs is vitally connected to the bio-systems of the Earth’s resources and outlines the causes and effects of their resulting rapid depletion.
“Earth Bits” is a two-year project. Its second phase will launch in March 2022 with additional and updated content. It is made possible by the continued partnership with Novo Verde and ERP (European Recycling Platform) Portugal.

“maat Explorations” is an ongoing programme that delves into the socio-cultural and environmental transformations stemming from the current bio crisis and ecological destruction. It provides an insight into the hard science of climate intervention and the creative speculations behind innovation-led research to safeguard our planetary co-existence.

Live act rehearsal at Dotdotdot's workshop in Milan, 2021.

Dotdotdot is a multidisciplinary design studio founded in Milan in 2004 with a heterogeneous team of over 20 people including architects, designers, developers, engineers, sound designers and storytellers. The studio uses design and technology to create new and unique ways for humans to interact with the world, in a continuum between physical and digital space, with research and technological innovation at the core of each project. In 2014, Dotdotdot founded OpenDot, a “fab lab”, a research and open innovation hub accessible to everyone and based in Milan.