Visualising Sound Perception in a Submarine: A Museum Installation

Abstract

We describe a museum installation that explains the technical and mental process that sonar operators undergo when identifying underwater sounds in the surroundings of a submarine. The installation places the public in a cramped space composed of several coupled interactive stations offering different perspectives onto a virtual environment representing a part of the Baltic Sea. The virtual environment and its presentation within the installation are implemented as an application of the DIVE research toolkit. The installation has been on display in several museums on a daily basis for over a year. We describe the technical solutions that we have employed to realise the installation and some of our learning.