Sonic Skater Jump: Exploring the Sound Design of Complex Auditory Movement Guidance for Physical Therapy

In physical therapy and training it is crucial that exercises are performed correctly while performance is improved. The sonification of movements has potential in this context, especially for unsupervised exercises at home. Our exploratory design research study focused on sound design for skater jumps. Two sound stimuli were created by expert sound designers and evaluated with 17 participants: a noise-based sound with edited and layered ice skating recordings and a complex tonal design based on recorded string instruments. The evaluation assessed jumping force, user experience, movement potential and sonic associations. The noise-based stimulus significantly increased the average maximum force during jumps compared to a metronome sound. It was well received because of its movement potential and its relation to movement. In contrast, the tonal stimulus had no effect on jumping force, but was useful for movement guidance and was positively received by most participants. The study shows that custom-designed complex sounds can improve both movement execution and user experience in skater jump exercises and that causal certainty is not necessary for effective sound design in this context. This insight opens up a wide scope for sound designers to create novel, original designs beyond conventional approaches.