AUMI Together Budget proposal

Introduction:



This is a proposal for a new iteration of the Adaptive Use Musical Instrument (AUMI) project. AUMI uses video motion tracking to play sounds, so that people who have little voluntary motion can participate in musical improvisation groups. For more details and history, read: http:/aumiapp.com. While AUMI is nominally a music program, its true goal is the creation of inclusive communities.



This project takes into account the experience of past versions of AUMI to create a new iteration of the program that has the following aims and improvements:

• The program will be built on a Web based platform as a Progressive Web App that can be used both in conjunction with online networking and independent offline. This will allow it to be distributed wore widely, and distributed and maintained in multiple interfaces and platforms simultaneously.


• The interface will be simplified and updated to accommodate both internationalization and accessibility features present in modern browsers and operating systems. Ideally, an AUMI user should be able to configure and play the program regardless of their ability.

• The program will be restructured to cleanly separate the User interface, controlling, and back end sections. This will allow advanced features and alternate interfaces more easily to be added to the program. 


• A networking system for broadcasting and receiving AUMI Together signals and images will allow collaboration remotely. This can be flexibly peer-to-peer or using the Internet. An administration console will secure user access and perform other network-wide organization and content distribution. This is the "Together" part of "AUMI Together".


• Ancillary to the actual Web app will be components of its Software Development Lifecycle, such as code management, automated testing, beta testing management and UX/UI review, continuous integration and distribution.


• Publicity and marketing are also an essential part of web development. The Web app may include facilities for integrating with performance capture, live-streamed broadcasting, and other third party facilities so that performances can be saved, edited, and distributed.


• While AUMI Together should be available free of charge, the servers may need to be hosted on commercial servers, and there may be other charges incurred for code maintenance, and to allow for some features and code licensing.

• AUMI Together is an ambitious project, but it can be completed and released in stages. The networking, for example, can be put off from the initial release, although AUMI Together should be designed with networking as a goal.


• An advantage of developing AUMI Together as a Web App is that much software that can be used to manage and implement it is available as open source software and free or low-cost internet services that can be scaled as the need arises. Similarly, programers and interface designers are more likely to be found for web app development than for native platforms.

Budget Estimate

The costs for developing this app can be roughly split into three categories:

Physical and networked resources acquisition:

This is generally done once, but may be revisited because service providers may change their functions or new services may be better suited to use for the project. new hardware to develop with,

• Choosing and setting up web servers for assets and inter-app communication, establishing domain names and security certificates.
• 
--- $1,000.00


Design and coding phase:

The effort to establish the initial version of the app, and a process for updating it. This phase can be considered complete when the first version of the web app is available to the general public.

• Designing UX and UI, for an explanatory website and the web app itself
• Backend work: designing server APIs and associated doc and testing Prototyping: to insure accessibility, responsiveness, error paths, security
• Testing: goes hand-in-hand with coding and precedes it
• Coding: designed as feature stories
• Documentation: both internal and user documentation, localized and in online and printable form
• Legal consulting: for privacy statements and third party requirements
• Source Code Management: combined with issue tracking and version tracking.
• Automated testing and continuous integration setup,
• Human Resources: coordinating consultant hires, beta testers
• Release schedule management: deciding how to roll out features that may be in development
• Creating Marketing assets for branding, and advertising
• Creating training materials

• --- roughly 20 weeks, $50/hr : $40,000.00


Operational phase:

After initial release, these expenses will be ongoing. Some fees can be prepaid for a number of years. It's good to plan for 5-10 initial years for estimation purposes.

• designing, planning, and releasing new versions,
• ongoing usage fees for the servers and code licenses,
• new translations,
• regular maintenance of the current version: bug fixes and adaptation to third party api changes
• marketing, publicity, advertising, online presence
• training and seminars
• 
--- 5-10 weeks, $10,000-$20,000 / year

While there are no plans for a paywall, subscriptions, or other fees associated with AUMI Together's usage, it might be possible to include a link for voluntary support of the app's development.