Video game to help orangutans compose their own music
A group of adorable Orangutans at Melbourne Zoo have proved they're legit video game fanatics, with researchers using Xbox Ones to engage the primates in an interactive enrichment program.
And as if that wasn't cute enough, they're also set to be the world's first Orangutan-identified experimental noise band, ABC's Catalyst reported, with researchers developing an audio-based game where music adjusts according to the primate's movements. Meaning they'll be able to make their own songs.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne's Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces (NUI) worked with Zoos Victoria on the project, and so far the study has shown both a positive impact on the animals themselves, as well as on the way they're perceived by zoo visitors.
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Researcher Marcus Carter told Catalyst the team were surprised by the way the orangutans first began playing with the Kinect 3D technology, expecting their interactions with the animated light projections would be limited to the floor. Instead, the furry balls of joy began using their bodies as a canvas.
"We're really trying to learn from what they do," he said.
"We think of a projection as a 2D flat surface, but it's really a cone of light and to the orangutan -- interacting up close to the projection or down on the floor -- both are just as legitimate."
But the best is yet to come, with the research team developing a new music game that's bound to blow the primate crew's sock clean off.
How will it work? Essentially brightly coloured objects inside the enclosure will be connected to music, with specific movements releasing their own distinct audio tracks. The music will also vary depending on the object's distance from the game.
Walking and moving one's arms around are the primary movements connected to the audio tracks, which means it's perfect for orangutans, what with their big swinging arms and all.
Although the orangutans haven't yet been introduced to their new fave game, researchers are hopeful they'll be composing their own songs in no time. Although, as all good songwriters know, you can't rush the creative process.
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Topics Xbox
Jerico Mandybur is the editor of Mashable Australia. Previously, she worked as a digital editor at SBS, Oyster Mag, MTV and ASOS. Tweet her at @jerico_m.
