Tele-media-art: feasibility tests of web-based dance education for the blind using kinect and sound synthesis of motion

Abstract

Tele-media-art is a web-based asynchronous e-learning platform, enabling blind students to have dance and theatre classes remotely, using low-cost motion tracking technology feasible for home use. Teachers and students submit dance recordings augmented with sound synthesis of their motions. Sound synthesis is generated by processing Kinect motion capture data, enabling blind students to compare the audio feedback of their motions with the audio generated by the teacher’s motions. To study the feasibility of this approach, the authors present data on early testing of the prototype, performed with blindfolded users.