Hearing Music through Touch

A prototype device created by researchers in the University of Malaga’s Department of Electronics will allow people with hearing loss to enjoy music as they never have before. The new tech translates audio into vibrations that “hack” the nervous system, per researchers. Though there has been plenty of research on the use of vibrations to recreate musical experiences, the researchers’ algorithm utilizes “tactile illusions” that convey the emotional dimensions of music by varying the movement, direction, and location of each vibration. Early returns are positive, and researchers believe the technology is transferable to smart devices like cell phones. Read more about the groundbreaking research in this Lecture Notes in Computer Science article.