On Thursday our students spent the morning testing vibration packs created by SoundX, a new and exciting piece of technology which connects Deaf people to the world of sound.
This technology combines artificial intelligence with vibration packs to translate recorded sound into vibration. The wearer of the pack is able to feel a wide range of frequencies, immersing them in the audio experience.
Charlotte, a student at the Deaf Academy enjoyed the experience, and said: ‘You can feel the different pitches. It felt like you were in the cinema.’ Charlotte said she hoped to be able to use this technology again in the future and would recommend it to anyone.
Mark Stocks, Partnership and Community manager at the Deaf Academy also tested the equipment. He said: ‘The SoundX Vibration pack is an exciting and innovative piece of equipment that will help Deaf people access frequencies linked to music and voices. I wasn’t sure what to expect initially, however feeling the range of vibrations on my back linked to classical music, from high frequencies in the upper back, to lower frequencies at the bottom of the pack. It also worked well during a film, where you could feel the vibrations of speech and could link it to the exact moment with the subtitles. I will be watching further developments of this equipment with interest as it will benefit a wide range of people.’
SoundX vibration packs also have educational benefits and are already being used in institutes for musical learning and speech lessons.
Overall, these vibration packs help to immerse Deaf people in the world of sound, and we are excited to see how this innovative technology will develop in the future!
