Legatus is the third Acropolis genus created to support the realisation of Hyper-
Soundwalk Series installation scenarios conducted using the pop-up exhibition
strategy. Legatus is informed by extensive field work conducted with the Speculātor
and Explorator genera where Legatus leverages successful components and strategies
from these prior genera while addressing their identified shortcomings. The move
from mechatronic- to loudspeaker-based vocalisations from Explorator to Legatus is
accompanied by advantages and disadvantages making Legatus artefacts well-suited
to some installation scenarios while Speculātor and Explorator genera remain the
best option for other scenarios.
Loud-speaker based vocalisation provides quicker development time for installations,
as most scenarios can leverage the same hardware and physical design allowing
the installation developer to focus on the artefact’s behaviour routines. However,
the sounds produced by loudspeaker systems are not inherently linked to physical
action and therefore are more abstract and intangible than mechatronic-based vocalisations.
This quality can be a problem for Hyper-Soundwalk Series installations
as the inherently abstract nature of loudspeaker generated sounds makes it more
difficult to guide the attention of visitors and establish a link between the artefact
and the in-situ environment.
Furthermore, while the cochlear adaptability of loudspeaker-based systems allows
for nearly any sound to be produced, there is less opportunity to customise the
physical appearance of the artefacts for particular installation scenarios while the
artefact’s must aesthetically contend with visitor’s familiarity with loudspeaker
technology and therefore must overcome the perception of the artefacts as devices
instead of electronic creatures. Therein, the Legatus genus aims to fill technology
gaps within the Acropolis family to grant the framework support for installation
scenarios that can not be realised using Speculātor and Explorator but does not
provide a substitution or replacement for the already presented genera.
After a short iterative design process which produced two prototypes, the Legatus
major (common name Legatus) species was created to realise four distinct
installation scenarios. In adherence to the thesis aesthetic guidelines, Legatus
is a three-legged artefact that predominantly features curved physical design elements
constructed from clear acrylic, black-oxide, and stainless-steel materials.
The electronics enclosure demonstrates robust environmental resistance
capabilities with an ingress protection rating of IP54 capable of withstanding
adverse weather events. The self-powered artefact is easy to transport, weighing
under a kilogram with physical dimensions fitting within a 185 x 185 x 110 mm
cylinder. Legatus leverages two soundscape augmentation systems to realise its
artistic goals: a non-cochlear PCB mounted LED-based visual feedback system and
a cochlear loudspeaker-based vocalisation system that supports audio recording,
sample playback, and real-time synthesis.