Projects
ANA – Active Noise Augmentation
ANA – Active Noise Augmentation
Turning the noisy environment around us into beautiful soundscapes.
As autistics our accommodations often come in the form of blocking out the neurotypical world, earplugs, headphones, sunglasses, etc, all barriers to protect us from the overstimulation of the modern environment.
This project asks the question: what if we could take the abrasive sounds of the outside world and turn them into something soothing and beautiful in real-time?
Many autistic people rely on headphones with active noise cancelling (ANC), a technology that takes the environmental sound, reverses its phase and plays it through the headphones, cancelling out the sound waves. Rather than attempting to cancel out the environment, we could use the concept of augmented reality and take that incoming signal and manipulate it, morphing it into lush soft soundscapes in real-time. Rather than Active Noise Cancelling headphones these would be Active Noise Augmenting headphones.
Explore
£5,000
Aims of the Project
This funding will enable me to develop a proof of concept and host a series of workshops where participants can engage with it, offer feedback, and contribute to its evolution.
By creating a space for direct interaction, I aim to foster valuable conversations around the autistic experience, ensuring that voices from within the community are heard and integrated into the development process.
Additionally, I am particularly interested in exploring the concept of the curb cut effect, where designing with accessibility in mind can lead to broader benefits for various groups. Just as curb cuts, initially created for people with disabilities, have ultimately enhanced public access for strollers, bicycles, and others, this project aims to design with inclusion at its core—ultimately creating a product that positively impacts not only those it is specifically intended for but also a wider range of individuals.
This funding will allow me to create both a tangible prototype and a meaningful dialogue around the importance of inclusive design.
Meet the artist
Ben Chernett
Lead Artist
he/him
Ben Chernett creates interactive sound sculptures that invite engagement and exploration.
Formally a touring musician with a background in engineering, Ben blends his technical skills with their artistic practice to create experimental instruments that encourage audiences to engage with the joy and playfulness of creating art, reconnecting with their inner child and the simple pleasures of creativity.
A core element of their work is removing the fear of making music and to put play at the core of playing an instrument. The pieces he creates have no wrong notes that can be played, no beats that can be missed and no correct way to engage with them.
