SLOP3255 · Week 07 · Spatial data
Listening to light#
An image presents many positions at once. Audio forces us to choose a beginning, route and speed.
Sonification creates time#
Traversal becomes part of the interpretation, even when every pixel value is preserved.
Three scan geometries#
Rows
Predictable. Preserves horizontal order and raster logic.
Columns
Foregrounds vertical structure and height changes.
Radial
Suits objects organised around a chosen centre.
No route is neutral. Choose the route that supports the image question.
A scan is a sequence of regions#
The same field scanned vertically would produce a different sequence and may separate or merge sources.
Keep dimensions independent#
| Image dimension | Sound dimension | Listener task |
|---|---|---|
| horizontal position | stereo position | locate left / right |
| vertical position | pitch | estimate height |
| brightness | level | compare intensity |
| energy band | timbre | separate layers |
If two data dimensions share one sound dimension, their meanings become difficult to separate.
Layers need controls#
Scientific layers
- energy bands
- source catalogue
- exposure map
- background estimate
Listener controls
- solo / mute
- replay region
- speed
- scan direction
An all-at-once mix can be impressive and analytically useless.
Tell the listener where they are#
Orientation is part of access, not an optional narration layer.
A complete image presentation#
Hear
structured scan with controllable layers
Inspect
image, axes, legend and scan cursor
Read
description, source table and values
No single channel must carry the entire scientific argument.
Listening Lab 07 · Output: scan specification
Scan an X-ray field#
Task
Design a route that lets a listener locate two bright regions and recognise when the scan is complete.
Test
- orientation
- source separation
- replay without sight
Reference: Chandra Data Sonification · chandra.si.edu/sound/