The acoustic character of a room depends on its shape.

Imagine the different acoustic worlds of two rooms each made of stone: one an unadorned simple geometry, like a cistern, versus that of an extremely complex shape, like a highly ornamented gothic cathedral. These two rooms, composed of the same material, will have radically different acoustic profiles. To change the acoustic character of these rooms, one can introduce different kinds of materials into them (hang a thick, wool tapestry in the cathedral), or one can change the shape of the room (carve ornamentation into the walls of the unadorned cistern).

Manta explores the acoustic variability and responsiveness possible in the shape of a surface. This approach stands in opposition to the traditional acoustic approach that a material has a fixed level of absorption or reflection (a fixed absorption coefficient). Manta can provide a variety of acoustic characters by taking on a variety of shapes. These changes in form can be triggered in response to multi-modal input via Open Sound Control (OSC), including stereoscopic vision, multi-touch, sound, or brainwaves. 

Manta is comprised of CNC machined panels and connectors of high-density polyethylene.

Curved forms result from a combination of triangulation and bending stiffness: geometry and material in concert.

It was designed to utilize the rigging infrastructure and acoustically inert environment of Studio 1 in the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at Rensselaer.

Location
Troy, NY

Design Team
Zackery Belanger
Eric Ameres
Guillermo Bernal
Seth Edwards