Visualizing audio in group table conversation

Abstract

In this paper, we create social visualizations of aural group conversation. These visualizations are tailored to a table setting. Examples of such settings are a family sitting about a table eating dinner or colleagues sitting about a table in a meeting. The form of the visualization is highly coupled to its function. People sit about the table structure and see their conversation visualized on the table surface as they speak. Using this physical structure, we present two graphical table interfaces. The first interface depicts the rhythm and conversational patterns in table top interaction; the second visualization extends this theme by incorporating a voting mechanism to highlight agreement and disagreement in spoken interaction. The visualizations evolve over time to create an evocative, graphical, interactive snapshot of the entire conversation within that table space.