The shifting of daily life online has been one of the most far-reaching consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. While it is not without its challenges, broad-based digitalisation has helped governments around the world to combat Covid-19, as well as created new growth opportunities for private companies.
A widely shared meme repeats the same image of a person sitting in front of a computer under a series of different headings: working, studying, watching TV, socialising and so on. For many, indeed, this has been the reality of 2020.
As the extent and gravity of the pandemic became clear in the early part of the year, most governments imposed some form of lockdown, typically involving a series of measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.
For example, many countries imposed international travel bans, moved all forms of teaching online, shuttered non-essential businesses, imposed total or partial curfews and, where possible, encouraged employees to work remotely.
The extent of such measures varied, as did the public responses to these government strategies. Nonetheless, there were a number of common outcomes – including the rapid and far-reaching adoption of digital solutions.
Event Status Deadpool Year 2010 Origin YouTube Tags sonic, jontron, sonic r. WORK IN PROGRESS – DO NOT DEADPOOL! This is an event started by user JonTron in his YouTube channel JonTronShow. Check out this game where your kid will compete on a game show and use her skip counting skills to find the mystery numbers and win the big prize. As of 2019, the U.S. Region accounted for over 31 percent of the global information and communication technology (ICT) market share. The EU and China ranked as the second and third biggest regions. Since education is a major step toward long-term human capital development, it is assumed that facility in the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which can help complement.
Remote working
As lockdowns kicked in and offices closed, many people began working from home. Companies aimed to maintain operations as far as possible by using a combination of cloud-based resources and video conferencing apps – such as US-based Zoom, whose stock price has seen remarkable gains this year.
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Many businesses found that, while the new approach was born out of necessity, it brought with it various benefits – such as a reduction in rental overheads – and did not unduly lower productivity. Some workers also found silver linings in the new arrangements, including savings on the time and costs associated with commuting.
ICT solutions have been key to this. Now, with much of the world immersed in another round of lockdowns, working from home has become the new normal for many.
This is not without its pitfalls, however. Concerns have been raised that remote workers collaborate less efficiently, missing out on both planned and unplanned ‘face time’, for which – some argue – digital connectivity is a poor substitute.
Furthermore, working from home can be particularly problematic in high-density domestic settings, which characterise a number of emerging economies. For example, Oman averages eight members per household, while Algeria and Bahrain each average 5.9.
In addition, many emerging economies suffer from underdeveloped ICT infrastructure. However, coronavirus-related disruptions in some cases stimulated efforts to address this issue.
In April, a World Economic Forum report predicted that the pandemic would “catalyse sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors to increase internet access beyond the current crisis”. This prediction has been borne out in many quarters.
Emerging economies that have benefitted from responsive policies to address internet connectivity shortfalls include Tunisia, which saw mobile network operators allocate emergency spectrum in the early stages of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, private telecoms operators around the world contributed to closing digital access gaps. For example, Senegal’s Sonatel – in which Orange holds a controlling stake – increased bandwidth speed and offered corporate clients 3 GB of mobile data, valid for one month and free of charge, and also enabled students to claim a free 1GB pass to access educational content.
Notwithstanding such measures, it remains to be seen how sustainable remote working will prove once the pandemic has subsided. Many anticipate that a flexible, ‘blended’ approach will prevail, with office workers dividing their time between working from home and attending a scaled-back brick-and-mortar workplace.
In light of this, co-working spaces could be an increasingly popular phenomenon globally. In the Philippines, for example, co-working spaces are emerging as a solution for firms seeking to decentralise while also ensuring a sound operating environment for employees.
“The pandemic has led to an emphasis on flexibility in terms of workstations and work-from-home solutions,” Lars Wittig, country manager of Regus and Spaces by IWG, told OBG in October.
“When the pandemic is over, people will no longer want to go to crowded downtown areas and, as such, suburban and provincial areas will see the most significant growth. At the same time, many large companies are looking to complement headquarters with satellite offices near employees’ homes – a trend that is likely to benefit co-working spaces.”
Remote learning
As well as offices, most countries closed educational facilities soon after the pandemic first struck, requiring all teaching to be delivered online.
This gave rise to a steep learning curve as authorities and teachers quickly implemented an ICT-based strategy. One common solution was to pre-record some content, which students could process in their own time, and combine that with video-conferencing software.
Bahrain was among those countries that saw a rapid and effective uptake of e-learning solutions. The bulk of this was carried out through a dedicated electronic education portal, which was set up by the Ministry of Education and the Bahrain Information and eGovernment Authority, in conjunction with cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services.
Elsewhere, the telcos Bahrain Telecommunications Company and Zain Bahrain announced that eligible customers would be able to browse designated educational websites without being charged for data use.
However, various challenges related to e-learning have only partially been surmounted in many emerging economies. These include insufficient digital preparedness among some teachers and students, as well as connectivity issues.
Thus, while the shift to virtual learning has on the whole been well managed and well received, further investment and policy initiatives are required – including digital literacy training for both students and educators, and the establishment of national guidelines and standards to govern the digital space.
In parallel to this, access must be improved – for example, through the provision of laptops and tablets, and the establishment of more Wi-Fi hotspots.
Apps and digital platforms
With the pandemic severely curtailing most aspects of everyday life, various ICT-oriented solutions have emerged.
Many of these have been reactive, aimed at filling gaps or meeting shortfalls. Others, however, point to new approaches – many of which look set to continue expanding, even after Covid-19 has been brought under control.
In Morocco, for example, a wide range of processes from local government bureaucracy to Customs procedures shifted online, while ICT platforms were also used to provide government support to people without a social security number.
In March, meanwhile, the country’s Ministry of Health launched an app for doctors and medical staff to pool expertise. Parallel to this, engineers, entrepreneurs and technicians launched a digital platform called Ingénierie VS COVID19MAROC (Engineering versus Covid-19, Morocco), also designed to share expertise across their respective fields.
In other cases, existing digital service providers have adapted their offerings in response to the pandemic, including South-east Asia’s super apps – Indonesia’s Gojek and the Singapore-headquartered Grab. While the pandemic has led to the reorganisation of operations and closure of some low-profit or high-contact services, it has ultimately cemented the super-apps’ prominence.
In particular, food and grocery delivery services generally capitalized on pandemic-related challenges, with demand increasing significantly as consumers sought to adhere to social distancing guidelines and avoid crowded markets and stores.
On the back of rising food delivery orders and a fall in ride-hailing demand, Grab’s two-year-old food delivery platform overtook its established transport service as the company’s main business line during 2020.In addition, both Gojek and Grab rapidly expanded their financial services into point-of-sale and online payments, and built on other offerings such as insurance services and business loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This sector opinion piece was produced by the Oxford Business Group.
| Sonic Movement | |
|---|---|
| Mission statement | The age of the electric car deserves its own sound |
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of project | Company division |
| Owner | Semcon |
| Founder | James Brooks, Fernando Ocaña |
| Established | 10 September 2013 |
| Funding | Semcon |
| Status | Active |
| Website | sonic-movement.com |
Sonic Movement is a research project operated by the Swedish company Semcon.[1] Premiered in September 2013,[2] Sonic Movement proposes an 'adaptive' system of warning sounds and noises for electric cars,[2] which is in opposition to industry trend of replicating combustion engine noises for electric car sound effects.[3]
Founders James Brooks and Fernando Ocaña are on the design team, as well as artists Holly Herndon and Matt Dryhurst.[4] The project aims to meet a proposal for a US mandate which would require silent electric and hybrid vehicles to emit warning sounds,[2] as well as legislation passed by the European parliament in April 2014, which states that all new electric cars sold in the EU must emit noise by 2019.[5] However, Ocaña notes that while legislators are 'looking at this from a technical point of view, [Sonic Movement is] looking at it from a user experience point of view.'[6]
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
Sonic Movement is a research project headed by a group of designers, artists and musicians that advocates a new approach to the sound of electric vehicles.[5] According to Car Design News, 'The Sonic Movement manifesto states that 'the dawn of electric and hybrid travel allows us to fantasize on what the future of our city streets could sound like.'[5]
Designer James Brooks had the initial concept, after testing a number of electric cars and finding their warning sounds underwhelming.[5] In early 2013, Brooks contacted Fernando Ocaña,[5] who was a fellow alumni of the Royal College of Art Vehicle Design in London[2] and creative director of the Swedish technology firm Semcon.[5]Car Design News stated that 'Brooks and Ocaña have shaped the project with their unconventional attitude towards car design...the architectural shape of Ocaña's final RCA project, 'Monoform,' encouraged us to view our environment from an all-important new perspective, while the 'BOX,' a joint project by Brooks and RCA student Richard Bone, was an innovative new take on urban car sharing.'[5]
Brooks then brought in American musician and sound artist Holly Herndon, who in turn introduced them to artist[5] and 'technologist'[7] Matt Dryhurst.[5] According to Car Design News, the project incorporates 'Herndon’s work in exploring the intersection between people and technology, and Dryhurst's focus on the blurred edges between art and technology.'[5]
Semcon involvement[edit]
The project, dubbed Sonic Movement, gained backing from the engineering firm Semcon in late 2013.[5] Semcon 'has been developing solutions for the automotive, life science, telecommunications, energy and development-intensive industries' since the late 1980s, 'blending engineering services with design for various products.'[2] Among Semcon's other projects are making cars more efficient.[7]
Sonic Movement is funded under the auspice of Semcon's Research and Innovation Lab,[6] specifically their Design and Acoustics divisions.[8] Acoustics expert Jonas Klein and sound engineer Peter Mohlin, both from Semcon, soon began contributing to the project's early development.[5]
Frankfurt Motor Show, legislation[edit]
An installation for the project was premiered at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show[2] (IAA) on September 10,[9] and it was launched the same day online.[4] Both live and online, the team presented their concepts using pre-recorded and gathered sound elements to communicate the action of an electric vehicle,[6] using both editorial and artistic content.[9] As of October 2013, the group is creating prototypes of the necessary sound equipment.[6]
The project aims to meet a proposal for a US mandate which would require all US vehicles that drive below a certain decibel level to also emit warning sounds.[2] In April 2014, the European parliament passed legislation that by 2019, all new electric cars sold in the EU had to emit noise via a device to make them audible to pedestrians.[5] However, despite the ruling's relevant nature to the project, Ocaña notes that legislators were 'looking at this from a technical point of view, whereas [Sonic Movement is] looking at it from a user experience point of view.'[6]
Pan European Networks stated in August 2014 that the company had shifted 'into an intensive research and development phase.'[10]
Project features[edit]
Sound qualities[edit]
| 'Our cities have developed but the sonic landscape remains primitive and disordered. [Most car companies] tend to be heavily imprisoned in the old age of the motor car [for EV sound effects] – the stereotypical roaring engines, the depiction of speed, of aggression. Some car companies are even looking at fake Ferrari engine notes.' |
| — Ocana[5] |
The Sonic Movement project is a proposal for creating a new system of warning sounds and noises for electric cars,[2] which is in opposition to the industry trend of replicating non-electric car noises such as combustion engines.[5] Ocana has stated that “We need to influence the legislation so as not to live in a world of fake engine sounds and find a suitable humanistic sound so that the car is no longer the villain.”[5] On July 2, 2014 Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology International stated that the program 'believes that despite the rapid and big advances in electric powertrain technology, the sonic landscape is somewhat primitive and disordered, and there’s a need for a new soundtrack to usher in the new era of sustainable transportation. '[11] Also,
On July 2, 2014 Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology International stated 'the group is mapping a hierarchy of environmental aspects that the vehicle can sense and gather data on, and to which it can intelligently adapt.'[11]
According to the company's design, 'cloud-based data will enable the EV to react intelligently to other road users,' for example picking up on weather or nearby schools. This information, along with internal data such as movement, are fed into the Sonic Movement Control Unit, or SMCU, which 'control the sound modulation in accordance with pre-set legislative, psychoacoustic and car and city brandings.' this allows car manufacturers to tailor noises to their brand or city.[11]
Hardware and software[edit]
Beyond aesthetics, the group has stated that the project is focused on allowing the car to be responsive to the environment around it, using sensors and software.[7] With one proposition, sensors and microphones on the cars would capture surrounding noise, then use software programs to reprocess the sound and send it back out via speakers mounted outside the vehicle, in a composed layering of sound.[6]
Ultimately, as of August 2014 the projects plans to integrate 'vehicle-based sensors and cloud-based services, including microphones, cameras, ultrasonic radar technology, online mapping, GPS, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) as well as vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication.'[10]
As of August 2014 the program's setup uses five loudspeaker drivers. With V2V technology, cars will purportedly also be able to communicate with one another, and may be able to avoid 'stacking' similar noises, which can confuse pedestrians.[11] The company is also exploring vehicle-to-mobile phone applications, to help warn pedestrians with headphones on.[10]
3D sound[edit]
Sound designer Peter Mohlin has attempted to use sound three-dimensionally, providing noises for when a car changes speeds, changes direction or turns on or off, with Herndon quoting that, “In a way, we’ve transformed the steering wheel into a kind of musical controller.'[7] According to CD News, 'Instead of current two dimensional sound – when a car is near or far away, or when it accelerates or decelerates – they have attempted to make sounds three dimensional to indicate what the car is doing more naturally.'[5] For example, as the car accelerates the noise rotates around the car at an increasing rate, eventually cutting as wind and tire noise reach a sufficient decibel level.[5]
While the car is idling, it emits a 'bassy rumble' using speakers mounted in each of the car's four corners, and the sound adapts to the ambient noise it detects so it can always be heard.[5] The group calls the idle noise the project's 'core' sound.[6]
Sound elements[edit]
A number of the sound elements originate with composer Holly Herndon, who wanted to make sure that the sounds 'were not 'completely foreign to people, but that it had a new aesthetic.'[6] Dryhurst has also contributed to the compositions.[5] James Brooks of Sonic Movement has stated that the noises of an electric car 'shouldn't be too complex; it should be almost second nature when you hear it.'[6] There is also an effort to make separate cars harmonize together, creating a symphonic effect.[7] Sound designer Peter Mohlin has been involved with this aspect as well.[7]
Further reading[edit]
- Articles and interviews
- 'Solving electric cars' quiet problem'. BBC Autos. October 15, 2013.
| External video | |
|---|---|
| VIDEO: New transport strategies: Fernando Ocaña at TEDx Göteborg (Dec 5, 2013) |
- 'Sonic Movement with James Brooks and Fernando Ocana'. BBC Radio. November 2013.
- ''Sonic Movement' rethinks the sound of cars'. The Fox is Black. January 15, 2014.
- 'Street Sounds (8.6 MB PDF)'(PDF). Creative Review.
- 'Designing the sound of tomorrow's electric cars'. Car Design News. April 15, 2014.
- 'Surround Sound'. Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. July 2, 2014.
- 'Street Symphony'. Pan European Networks. Page 144, Issue 11. August 2014.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'About'. SonicMovement.com. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ abcdefghGallina, Eric (October 23, 2013). 'The Ambience of Sonic Movement'. Form Trends. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^'BBC radio. Jarvis Cocker discusses Sonic Movement with James Brooks and Fernando Ocana'. BBC Radio. November 2013. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ ab'Sonic Movement'. Cargo Collective. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstBanks, Nargess Shahmanesh (April 15, 2014). 'Designing the sound of tomorrow's electric cars'. Car Design News. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ abcdefghiNeiger, Chris (October 15, 2013). 'Solving electric cars' quiet problem'. BBC Autos. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ abcdefFitzpatrick, Kyle (January 15, 2014). ''Sonic Movement' Rethinks the Sound of Cars'. The Fox is Black. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^Black, John (April 2014). 'Sonic Movement Video'. Designing Sound. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ ab'Sonic Movement - Redefining the sound of our cities'. Semcon. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ^ abc'Street Symphony'. Pan European Networks. Page 144, Issue 11. August 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
- ^ abcdBanks, Nargess (July 2, 2014). 'Surround Sound'. Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
External links[edit]
Sonicfun In Ict Online