A Gesture-Based Approach to Spatialization in Dolby Atmos

Vitor Pinheiro

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper presents a system for the spatialization of sound objects in the Dolby Atmos format, implemented through the integration of an infrared sensor with a chain of three software tools. The setup enables translating hand gestures into spatialization data within the constraints of the Atmos format. The design and parameter mapping are described, along with its usability, strengths, and limitations, as assessed through a preliminary evaluation conducted by the author. Beyond the technical aspects, this article reflects on the author's experience using the system as a mixing engineer and connects these insights to the conceptual framework of related works. This perspective offers a critical reflection on spatialization as a performative practice within studio workflows, highlighting how such devices may be integrated into the multimodal studio environment to introduce new means of interaction in sound spatialization.

Citation

Vitor Pinheiro. 2025. A Gesture-Based Approach to Spatialization in Dolby Atmos. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15698974 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@article{nime2025_88,
 abstract = {This paper presents a system for the spatialization of sound objects in the Dolby Atmos format, implemented through the integration of an infrared sensor with a chain of three software tools. The setup enables translating hand gestures into spatialization data within the constraints of the Atmos format. The design and parameter mapping are described, along with its usability, strengths, and limitations, as assessed through a preliminary evaluation conducted by the author. Beyond the technical aspects, this article reflects on the author's experience using the system as a mixing engineer and connects these insights to the conceptual framework of related works. This perspective offers a critical reflection on spatialization as a performative practice within studio workflows, highlighting how such devices may be integrated into the multimodal studio environment to introduce new means of interaction in sound spatialization.},
 address = {Canberra, Australia},
 articleno = {88},
 author = {Vitor Pinheiro},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15698974},
 editor = {Doga Cavdir and Florent Berthaut},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 numpages = {4},
 pages = {601--604},
 title = {A Gesture-Based Approach to Spatialization in Dolby Atmos},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2025/nime2025_88.pdf},
 year = {2025}
}