About the project

The goal of the RHYME project is to improve health and life quality for persons with severe disabilities, through use of “co-creative tangibles”. These are ICT based, mobile, networked and multimodal things, which communicate following musical, narrative and communicative principles. They are interactive, social, intelligent things that motivate people to play, communicate and co-create, and thereby reduce passivity and isolation, and strengthen health and well-being.

In the project we will carry out 4 empirical studies and develop knowledge by design of 3 generations of co-creative tangibles in collaboration with Haug School and Resource Centre, users and families.

The RHYME project is a unique collaboration between leading institutions in the fields of Interaction Design, Tangible Interaction, Industrial Design, Universal Design and Music and Health; Institute of Design, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Institute of Informatics, University of Oslo and Centre for Music and Health, Norwegian Academy of Music.

Central research questions: Can use of cross-media tangibles improve health and well-being in families with disabled children? How do one design cross-media tangibles to motivate co-creation between diverse users?

Analytical frames: Music and Health perspective based on an ecological understanding of health. Research by design, user centred design and artistic approach on design of new prototypes. Use of communication and narrative models and structures to motivate co-creation.

Goal & sub goals:
Our goal is to:
1) Radically improve the health and well-being of people with severe disabilities, through a new treatment paradigm based upon collaborative, tangible, net based, “smart objects”, with multimedia capabilities
2) Contribute to the emerging body of knowledge in interface design, specifically within the area of networked social co-creation, based on multimodal interaction through the Internet of Things.

Further we will:
– Develop knowledge through design of new concepts of Internet of Things. Things that facilitate play, communication and co-creation, between people with and without severe disabilities, on equal terms, in different communicative situations
– Identify the new field and its potential that emerges, by bringing together Interaction Design, Tangible Interaction, Universal Design, Music & Health.
– Establish an international network for the field.

Deliverables: 4 empirical studies, 3 generations of co-creative tangibles, 12 peer reviewed papers (5 NMH, 4 IFI, 3 AHO), 16 presentations/lectures  (4 per project partners), 3 exhibitions.

Partners:
Institute of Design, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Institute of Informatics, University of Oslo and Centre for Music and Health, Norwegian Academy of Music.

Activities:
User testing ORFI (Spring 2011l). Establish common foundation
Design Generation 2 (Autumn 2011). User testing Generation 2 (Spring 2012)
Design Generation 3 (Autumn 2012). User testing Generation 3 (Spring 2013)
Design Generation 4 (Summer 2013-2015). User testing Generation 4 (Winter 2014-2015)

Media coverage and publications:
here

RHYME is a five year research project (2010-2015) financed by the Norwegian Research Council through the VERDIKT programme.