facebook rss twitter

Volkswagen GTI app generates music based upon your driving

by Mark Tyson on 27 November 2013, 10:40

Tags: iPhone

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab5qb

Add to My Vault: x

Volkswagen UK and veteran dance music act Underworld have got together to produce a smartphone app. Of course the app is about music in your car but it takes a completely new approach - the way you drive generates the music you are listening to. We are informed that your driving speed, engine RPM, acceleration, steering and GPS location parameters are all used to generate your music in real time.

The new app is entitled Play the Roadand subtitled “Driving music reinvented”. VW says that the app delivers “a unique and exhilarating driving experience.” The app uses data from the VW GTI’s onboard computer and combines that with sensory data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS of the smartphone. Volkswagen has put together a slick video showing off the app in action, see below.

Underworld worked with “Audio Specialist” Nick Ryan to produce the new app. The team had to face the challenge of creating a nonlinear composition that would work as a dynamic soundscape for the VW GTI driving experience. “To do this they created musical stems that could be attributed to locations and specific driving behaviours,” we are told. To test the music app the car became an office, says VW. The app creating team would drive around with a ‘precision driver’ to make sure the soundscape and composition worked appropriately in reacting to the car handling.

This is a very interesting app for in-car use, however I must point out that video games music composers have been successfully making non-linear game event driven music for a good number of years.

At the time of writing VW isn’t making the app available either as a paid-for or free download. VW is using the app right now as the basis of a track day competition where drivers enter to ‘compose’ music by driving around a special course. You can enter that competition here, entries close on 2nd December.



HEXUS Forums :: 7 Comments

Login with Forum Account

Don't have an account? Register today!
Why?
Oh good, another thing to encourage the “rev my noisily tuned engine constantly and have a broken exhaust” crew another excuse to drive like total morons…
New organ donors coming soon
that would definitely help people to use their car insurances everytime they use this device. if youre into rock music or heavy metal… have a safe journey!
kingpotnoodle
Oh good, another thing to encourage the “rev my noisily tuned engine constantly and have a broken exhaust” crew another excuse to drive like total morons…
Hmm, couldn't they configure it to play something other than “drum ‘n’ bass” if you drive like a pizzle? Reinforce the “drive safe, stay alive” message.
pvee
that would definitely help people to use their car insurances everytime they use this device. if youre into rock music or heavy metal… have a safe journey!
'74 Jailbreak by AC/DC = me chilled out.
Ace Of Spades by Motorhead = not chilled out, but still happy.
One by Metallica = depressed.
anything by Rod Stewart, David Bowie, etc = me very angry and shouting at the radio.

Actually what I'd like is some kind of Tivo type arrangement for a car radio so, for example, it'd refuse to play anything by David Bowie. Definitely better than the current arrangement which involves reaching for volume or station buttons accompanied by a lot of swearing.