Project Overview

Interactive Sandbox is a multi-sensory experience designed to help users relax, engage, and have fun through tactile, auditory, and visual interactions. By combining fine-grain sand, hand tracking, and interactive visuals and sounds, users can create artwork while immersing themselves in a calming, interactive environment.

How It Works

• Tactile Interaction: Users engage with fine-grain sand, shaping and deforming it to explore sensory relaxation.

• Hand Tracking: Using a Kinect depth sensor and contour tracking, the system detects hand movements.

• Dynamic Visuals & Sound: The detected movements influence particle effects and Perlin noise-based visuals, as well as calming audio.

• User-Controlled Experience: Users shape the experience by moving their hands, adjusting both the visual aesthetics and soundscape.

  This project is ideal for anyone looking to relieve stress, enhance mindfulness, or explore creative expression. It is especially beneficial for individuals with sensory processing needs, those preparing for medical procedures, and children or adults seeking therapeutic, engaging experiences.

Development Process & User Feedback

Phase 1: Ideation & Conceptualization (10/27/22)

• Initial goal: To create a multi-sensory, interactive, and stress-relieving experience.

• Decided on kinetic sand as the tactile medium.

• Explored the connection between hand movements, interactive visuals, and sound modulation.

• Aimed for calming visuals (inspired by Perlin noise and particle effects) and adaptive soundscapes for relaxation.

Phase 2: Rapid Prototyping & Material Testing (11/03/22)

• Tested different tactile materials for form factor and sensory response.

• Experimented with visual projection techniques.

• Iterated on initial design concepts.

Phase 3: User Testing & Refinements (11/10/22)

Feedback from test users helped us refine the experience:

• Visual Enhancements: Users preferred projections closer to the sand to enhance immersion.

• Sound Customization: While many found the sound relaxing, some wanted more control over music selection.

• Fluidity in Experience: Users gravitated towards ocean-wave-inspired sounds and slow-moving patterns that foster relaxation.

• Final Material Choice: Switched from kinetic sand to fine-grain sand to allow better flow, interaction, and precision in hand tracking.