Have you ever asked how the sound of boiling water felt like? Or how the chirping of the birds or the bubbling of the fish in the aquarium relaxes one’s body?

Last October 4 to 7 at the CEATEC 2016 event in Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Fujitsu, one of Japan’s leading IT companies, exhibited the prototype of Ontenna, a new device that will redefine how people perceive sound.

Ontenna.

At first glance, Ontenna looks like a fashionable white hair clip. But this little device does not only glow with each sound detected from the environment, it also translates those into vibrations, making them act like human whiskers. Those little black things near the cats’ mouths are actually not just normal hair strands. At the end of each whisker is a sensory organ that sends tactile or touch signals to every part of the cat’s body, warning them about the given situation or environment the cat is currently in.

Honda Tatsuya. The man behind the Ontenna. Photo from tedxhaneda.com

This is exactly what Honda Tatsuya of Fujitsu had in mind when he developed the prototype for Ontenna. During his first year in the university, he became interested in sign language and became acquainted with the deaf community. Being a user interface designer, he realized that he could use the power of technology to help these people lead better lives.

Instead of a tactile device, Honda aimed for an auditory gadget that will act, not just as a hearing aid for the deaf community, but also as a sensory radar, helping them feel their environment more.

How Ontenna works.

Ontenna works by converting sounds from the 30 decibels to 90 decibels spectrum into 256 levels of vibrations and light intensity, and sending it to the body for a whole new sound experience. With this device, a deaf person can now tell the difference between the noise of a vacuum cleaner and the sound of a plug entering the electric socket.

Targetting musicians for a more dynamic experience.

At the moment, Fujitsu is still developing the Ontenna to be fully programmable, with the goal of evolving it into a well-rounded device for different kinds of people. The aim is for dancers to have a different experience by sensing the actual rhythms of the songs. They are also targeting musicians who can better feel their music with the use of this device. Fujitsu is also developing the gadget to give a better sense of atmosphere in a concert, event, or a movie. The company is also working on the appearance of the device to make it more fashionable to users.

Ontenna as an earring.

According to its official website, Ontenna is an “open innovation” project, inviting people from around the world to “become involved” so that it can be a better device geared to changing lives.

For more information about Ontenna, you may visit their website here.