Computer Science

In Computer Science, we use a variety of languages such as Hypertext Markup Language and Cascading Style Sheets (HTML/CSS) and Java to build custom projects (such as this website) and help in other tasks (such as the Java program we made for High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) which can be found on the Math page). We study everything from Boolean Logic to practical information regarding how to read and write information in Excel (csv files) with Java.

When coding several of our projects this year, we use methods from the Applet library to draw objects such as lines and stars. Here is an example of a program called DrawStar.java. If you choose to run this program locally on your device, please use Java 1.8 or other version compatible with the Applet library. You can also find another Java file on the Clubs page in the Programming Team Section.

Prior to making this website, we got into groups and identified key areas which should be prioritized when coding a website. You can access a copy of the presentation with this link or view it in the browser below.

People who are hard of hearing are unable to fully experience music because of their lower audio sensory ability. Many of these individuals are left out of important parts of their culture and modern life due to the disability. Of a poll of those with cochlear implants, for example, researchers cited that these people placed the ability to hear people individually, in a group, and listen to music within their top three wants (Resnick, 2013). Not to mention another poll confirmed 76% of participants believed that visuals enhanced user experience (Shin, 2020). It is no wonder then that several bands and music groups hire ASL interpreters for their concerts and make music videos (Rao, 2016). The target audience of the app is deaf individuals ranging from children to elders.

To help those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing experience music more fully, Daiwik Pai, Alina Shkurikhina, and I aim to build an app that can represent music through other senses. The app will allow users to input their song of choice and then receive their visualization, which will translate features of the song into visual and haptic senses. The app will have two core features: visualizing the music itself and playing the visualization along with the audio of the music in synchronization. A feature that sets apart our product is the fact it is able to analyze any MIDI file and create a visual from it; the app is very personalized. Our app aims to allow all persons to enjoy music and feel the powerful emotion music can invoke in us through the innovative use of computer science.

Here is a video of the app demonstrating a sample MIDI file and playing the song alongside. Refresh the page to restart the video . In the video, the home screen loads, then a song is selected, and finally the visualization comes to life. The following graphic highlights the basic structure of our app. We utilize a Python library called MIDO to read MIDI files, Chaquopy to use Python with Java in Android Studio, and the Canvas library to animate. More information can be found in the presentation.

This section supplements the Problem & Target Audience section.

Rao, V. (2016, June 1). Can Deaf People Hear Music? (Answer: Yes, They Can). Assistive Technology Blog. https://assistivetechnologyblog.com/2016/06/can-deaf-people-hear-music-answer-yes.html

Resnick, B. (2013, October 30). Why We Can Give the Deaf Sound, but Not Music. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/why-we-can-give-the-deaf-sound-but-not-music/454050/

Shin, Y. (2020, May 23). Bringing music to the deaf by designing a new feature in Apple Music. Medium. https://uxplanet.org/bringing-music-to-the-deaf-by-designing-a-new-feature-in-apple-music-18ea76a5c897