Smart Wearable Jacket Lets Deaf People Experience Music

Deaf people can now appreciate music through a smart jacket called the Sound Shirt. London-based fashion company CuteCircuit collaborated with an orchestra from Hamburg to create a jacket that can help deaf people feel music. CuteCircuit founders Ryan Genz and Francesca Rosella were able to fully develop the innovative clothing after more than a decade. The high-tech jacket works by converting sounds to sensations. The clothing uses a program that turns music into data. It also has 16 sensors attached to its fabric that correspond to microphones located at different parts of the stage. When an orchestra plays, the microphones send data to the jacket’s sensors, which will convert sounds to vibrations. According to Genz, each type of sound will be felt at a specific part of the body. Heavy bass notes are felt in the lower torso close to the stomach. Lighter sounds like ones created by violins are felt in the upper body near the neck. After sensing a sequence of touches, the wearer will be able to find connections between the vibrations and experience the music completely. Rosella said that the jacket does not have wires. Instead, the data are transmitted through smart fabrics that can conduct electrical signals. She added that the jacket’s material is comfortable and stretchable. Deaf twin sisters Hermon and Heroda Berhane, who tried the jacket firsthand, gave positive feedback about the product. Hermon said that while wearing the Sound Shirt, she felt like she was experiencing the music deeply. The Sound Shirt is expected to be sold for $3,673 each, but the developers believe that the experience is worth the price.