Colloquia Patavina for Students

Prof. Stefania Serafin

Copenhagen hearing and balance center Rigshospitalet

The Mathematics of Multisensory Experiences: From Musical Instruments to Accessible Virtual Worlds

Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 - 16:00.
Room 1AD100 Torre Archimede

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Mathematics offers powerful tools to model how we hear, feel, and interact with the world. In this talk, I will explore how physical modeling, signal processing, and computational acoustics can describe the dynamics of sound and touch—from the vibration of a violin string to the reverberation of a virtual room. These models not only enable the synthesis of realistic musical instruments and everyday soundscapes, but also form the basis of multisensory interfaces that enhance perception, communication, and inclusion.

Drawing from projects at the Multisensory Experience Lab, I will illustrate how numerical methods and perceptual modeling converge in applications ranging from embodied music interaction to auditory training and hearing rehabilitation. Finally, I will discuss how these mathematical foundations are evolving toward human-centered AI systems that adapt to individual sensory profiles—supporting accessibility, empathy, and creativity in virtual and augmented environments.

ITALIAN: La Matematica delle Esperienze multisensoriali: dagli strumenti musicali ai mondi virtuali accessibili. La matematica offre potenti strumenti per modellare il modo in cui ascoltiamo e interagiamo con il mondo. In questa presentazione esplorerò come la modellazione fisica, l'elaborazione del segnale e l'acustica computazionale possano descrivere le dinamiche del suono e del tatto, dalla vibrazione di una corda di violino al riverbero di una stanza virtuale. Questi modelli non solo consentono la sintesi di strumenti musicali realistici e paesaggi sonori quotidiani, ma costituiscono anche la base di interfacce multisensoriali che migliorano la percezione, la comunicazione e l’inclusione. Presentando i progetti del Multisensory Experience Lab, illustrerò come i metodi numerici e la modellazione percettiva convergano in applicazioni che vanno dall'interazione musicale incorporata alla formazione uditiva e alla riabilitazione dell'udito. Infine, discuterò di come queste basi matematiche si stanno evolvendo verso sistemi di intelligenza artificiale che si adattano ai profili sensoriali individuali, supportando l’accessibilità, l’empatia e la creatività in ambienti virtuali e aumentati.

Short Bio

Professor Stefania Serafin is a leading expert in Sonic Interaction Design at Aalborg University in Copenhagen, where she leads the Multisensory Experience Lab. She received her PhD from Stanford University in 2004, focusing on computer models of friction sounds for musical applications. Prof. Serafin's research spans sonic interactions for virtual, augmented, and extended realities, with applications in health and culture. She is the President of the Sound and Music Computing Association and leads the Nordic Sound and Music Computing Network. Her work has significantly contributed to the fields of sound and music computing, multimodal interaction, and auditory interfaces. Prof. Serafin has co-authored several books, including "Sonic Interaction Design" and "Auditory Interfaces", and is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences.

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