Badum Tss!: A DIY Paper-based Interaction to Augment Everyday Situations with Sound Effects

Abstract

The DIY rollable soundboard is a paper-based instant button device, driven by a Raspberry Pi that allows for easily creating simple sound effects. With sound effects like a Badum Tss (the sound of drums which often appears for a bad joke in comedy shows), it augments everyday situations with a suitable sound while users are on the go. Since paper is quiet cheap and almost readily available, paper does not cause any inhibitions to touch it and create sounds. Unlike a simple instant button application on a private smartphone, the rollable soundboard invites people to explore it and to entertain their social environment. In this paper, we describe the design process for the development of a rollable, portable soundboard from the conceptual design down to the functional prototype and first usability tests, and discuss relevant areas of future work.