As you already know the core hardware platform for H&S07 is an Analog Devices Blackfin ADSP-BF533 EZ-Kit Lite DSP kit. We hope you have used the last week or so to look at the extensive data, application information and tutorials on the Blackfin web site and to gain some experience with its VisualDSP development environment.
Your task between now and Friday morning has three parts:
1. Funny voices.
2. An ECG system
3. Air Guitar (or Air Drums) performance and music synthesis.
Think of the first two as warm-up exercises, with the third being the main task.
Each involves both hardware and software the balance between them is up to you to decide particularly in the third part.
Part 1: Funny Voices
In cartoon and fantasy films characters often speak with un-natural voices (think of Darth Vadar from Star Wars). Most of these effects predate DSP, but are easily achieved using it.
Set up a real time voice altering system in the Blackfin, with at least one effect, the Jury will expect a live demo (and will want to play).
Part 2: ECG
For ECG, electrocardiogram, electrical signals are picked up by electrodes attached to the skin on the chest, good electrical contact is essential as the signals are small. The power of DSP for real-time filtering and conditioning means that a good signal can be obtained using simple hand held sensors.
Design and build an ECG system using simple hand held electrodes (flat pieces of metal or pieces of metal tube?) capable of displaying the full detail of the ECG waveform. Signal processing should be done by the Blackfin; the graphical display may be from the Blackfin or on a PC.
Part 3: Air Guitar (or Air Drums)
We would like you to make a real-time “performance system” (“Performance” can be interpreted in many ways; we have used “Air Guitar” simply as shorthand to convey an idea.) based on detection of the movements of a solo performer (air guitar, air drums, dance, or other physical body movements). Music or sound synthesis must be triggered and modified by detecting the movement of the “performer”, graphical display may be generated to enhance the effect.
Detecting body movement is the key input to such a system, depending on your interests and skills you may use predominantly hardware: a Theremin or some other form of haptic radar, or software: analysis of the signal from a video camera.
This part involves more work that the other two and is completely open ended, you can extend its capabilities in any way you like; your solution may be heavily dependant on hardware or may be mostly software. It may involve PCs but the DSP must be carried out by the Blackfin and be (mostly) real-time.
A final requirement is that in part2 or part3 RFID must be used in some meaningful way.
We would like to view parts 1 & 2 with an informal visit to your lab on Wednesday, at the same time you can tell us of your plans and progress for part 3.
Final Jury judging will take place in your lab on Friday morning (there will be a lottery to determine the order of visits).
There will be a public presentation of your work early Friday afternoon.
Register at http://moodle.emrc.ul.ie and monitor this site for news and further information, on Thursday evening/Friday morning you will be asked to upload a brief written account of your work.
Tasks prepared by Jury members: Timothy Hall and Ciaran MacNamee.
Blackfin ADSP-BF533 EZ-Kit Lite donated by Analog Devices.