A significant number of archaeological finds of Ancient Musical Instruments (AMI) are exhibited at archaeological museums scattered all over Greece and abroad. Organized sound (music and song) – as opposed to image– was the prominent factor in the process of both formulating and addressing intellectual activity and artistic creation contrary to what is the case in contemporary life, where image prevails in all its forms. However, digital reconstitution of organized sound of AMIs is blatantly lacking both at national and international level. Therefore, museum visitors have absolutely no idea about how the AMI’s actually sounded when played.
Targets
MNESIAS targets research, development and pilot evaluation (through real users) of user friendly, adaptable and expandable digital tools and applications in order to:
- allow museum scientists to create specific Auditory Virtual Musical Instruments (AVAMI), which accurately reproduce the musical sound of any specific AMI exhibit,
- enrich and augment the experience of a museum visitor (either locally or via the internet) through accurate digital sound reconstitution and 3D representation of exhibited AMIs, allowing real time user interaction and music creation and
- transfer the innovative technology that will be produced by the research institutions to the business partner, resulting in improving their competitiveness and facilitating their entry to new markets.
Expected Results
The expected results of the MNΕSIAS project are as follows and are included in the corresponding tasks:
- Systematic recording (of specific physical factors that determine sound production of AMIs) and classification of all available Greek AMIs exhibited at museums worldwide.
- Development of generic innovative mechanisms for sound synthesis of authentic AMIs, based on Physical Modeling of sound generation and transmission, i.e. mathematical models which describe the physics of musical instruments.
- Accurate reconstruction of all wind and stringed AMIs exhibited at the Archaeological Museums of Megara and Piraeus, for use in tasks 5 and 9.
- Development of an innovative software application for the production of wind and string AVAMIs by the scientific personnel of the museums.
- Development of innovative methodology for ensuring accuracy on sound representations of AVAMIs.
- AVAMI development based on task 2 for all wind and stringed AMIs exhibited at the Archaeological Museums of Megara and Piraeus.
- Development of innovative interactive guided tour software application for visitors within the museum (through interactive screens and mobile devices) as well as web-based visitors, with the use of fully developed Virtual Musical Instruments (VAMIs).
- Study and application of the Universal Design principles for allowing individuals with disabilities to access the guided tour software applications of VAMIs (either locally or web based).
- Design and development of museum-pedagogic digital applications for AMIs.
- Applying usability tests with museum visitors for evaluating the software applications developed in tasks 7 and 9.
- Elaboration of viability business and trade plan for each one of the innovative product solutions that will be generated through MNESIAS, concerning the opportunities emerged if services expand on various temporal, regional and cultural contexts worldwide (i.e. medieval, byzantine, traditional musical instruments of middle east, Africa, South America, etc.).
- Multifaceted and wide spread dissemination of research outcomes to both international scientific community and the general public, through scientific publications, website, leaflets, public information event and participation in an international trade fair.
Starting date: 25/07/2018
Ending date: 24/09/2022
Scientific Coordinator: Georgios Kouroupetroglou