Supporting entrainment using latent space mappings and generative sound feedback during dyadic movement exercises

Entrainment offers a rich theoretical understanding of how rhythmic stimuli are embodied in movement. Behavioural research examines how entrained coordination arises in the presence of sound and interpersonal interactions, which are reflected in sensorimotor and physiological responses. This paper explores the affordances of generative models for sound-movement mapping designed to support dyadic embodied interaction. We adopt a set of physical partner-based exercises that emphasise spatio-temporal coordination, guided by a moving prop. A tangible artefact is orchestrated around this prop, integrating two mapping strategies: an explicit, one-to-one mapping, and a latent mapping using a deep generative model for neural synthesis. A study compares these approaches as six dyads perform the exercises. Our findings suggest that sound feedback influenced participants’ peripheral awareness, and that the latent mapping offered relevant design opportunities for evoking familiar embodied sensations and bringing attention to emergent qualities of dyadic movement.