Smart shirt for deaf people translates music into motion

This smart shirt converts classical music sounds into vibrations, allowing deaf people to feel a concert.

Germany’s Junge Symphoniker Hamburg orchestra collaborated with wearable technology experts CuteCircuit to create the Sound Shirt. Wirelessly translating classical music into vibrations, the shirt lets deaf people feel what the orchestra plays.

The Sound Shirt software interprets eight types of instrumental sound, including that of the double bass, cello, horns and large percussion, as data. The data is then sent wirelessly to the shirt, where 16 micro actuators vibrate according to the intensity of the music. The orchestra is currently accepting expressions of interest from anyone interested in wearing a Sound Shirt to attend a Symphoniker concert.

As connected cities get smarter, inclusivity improves. Recent Springspottings include smart hearing aids that use IFTTT to personalize their use, and 3D prints of ultrasound scans for blind parents. How else could life events be translated into different sensory experiences?