These interventions range from “Joy Branch,” an ergonomic interface that allows a Macaw to control his sonic environment, to an incubator that maintains vocal interaction between bird parents and eggs during artificial incubation, to an acoustic monitoring system for real-time classification of giant panda vocalization. Through these examples, this talk proposes insights and principles to help re-envision zoos of the future, with a focus on sound, for the benefit of the animals and their wellbeing. Co-sponsored by PEM.

About the Presenter

Rébecca Kleinberger, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Northeastern University, holding joint appointments with the College of Arts, Media, and Design and Khoury College of Computer Sciences. She is also a research affiliate at the MIT Media Lab and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Her work mixes science, engineering, design, and art to create experiences that transform otherness into togetherness. Her projects aim to create deep connections between people, within oneself, or across species. Her research spans a wide range of fields, including neurology, human-computer interaction, psychology, cognitive sciences, physics, biology, clinical research, linguistics, communication theory, and assistive technologies. She has over ten years of experience researching and creating new voice technologies and technologically-mediated interspecies interventions. She has developed and deployed sonic and vocal interventions for animals in zoos and in the wild.