Project DIDEM presents the Kokea Board
Making sounds not only audible but also tangible—that is the exciting idea behind the “Kokea Board,” developed by the DIDEM research project team at the Internal link opens in the same window:Care and Technology Lab (IMTT).
The Kokea Board combines spatial sound experience with haptic perception in a novel way. Figures and cards are placed on the wooden surface, generating location-dependent sounds. Several structure-borne sound transducers cause the material to vibrate, allowing sound sources to be clearly located in space. This creates small sound worlds above the surface that each person experiences from their own perspective.
By placing their hands on the board, the sounds become not only audible but also tangible. Vibrations are transmitted to the skin, opening up a multisensory interaction with the sound. This gives people with dementia a new, emotional access to memories and encounters.
The special sound board was recently presented at the Inno Market of the Innoclusion Innovation Congress, where it sparked many inspiring conversations. At the congress, the project team benefited from many valuable insights into current developments in care and participation practices.
Internal link opens in the same window:More about the DIDEM project