Vibey is a wearable vibrotactile device designed to enhance the music experience for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. Inspired by Neruda Arts' initiatives, our team developed a compact and portable alternative to traditional vibrotactile chairs, ensuring an immersive and inclusive concert experience.
Our client, Neruda Arts, is a non-profit organization based in St. Jacobs, Ontario, dedicated to building community bridges through music, dance, theatre, and visual arts.
Neruda Arts is dedicated to creating inclusive music experiences, ensuring that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHoH) audiences can fully engage with live performances. In the past, they have used balloons, vibrating tubes, and vibrotactile chairs to translate sound into physical sensations. While effective to some extent, these methods have limitations in portability, comfort, and immersion. Seeking a better solution, Neruda Arts approached our class with a challenge: to design a more seamless and engaging way for DHoH individuals to experience music.
To build a strong foundation for our design, we conducted secondary research on vibrotactile technology, existing accessibility solutions, and the physiology of how vibrations are perceived by the skin. Our research methods included literature review, competitive analysis, and indirect observation.
User research is the main component of this human-centred design project. Because the DHoH is a very small user group, we recruited extensively using various strategies:
● Emailed 12 Deaf or hard of hearing organizations to ask for help with recruiting individuals
● DMed 7 Deaf or hard of hearing individuals on social media
● Posted on 3 Reddit channels
Invaluable feedbacks were shared by the administrators of some organizations which deepened our understanding of who we should design for. For instance, the correct term to describe our target audience is "Deaf and Hard of Hearing", not "hearing-impaired", and our position as “helping the disabled users” should also be repositioned to be more inclusive.
4 participants attended 1-on-1 interview sessions.
Sample Interview Questions
Small and Discreet
A compact design keeps the device unobtrusive, reducing stigma for users while making storage and transport easier for event organizers.
“Hard of hearing is known as invisible disability. When you look at someone, you don't necessarily notice their hearing aids.So keeping things not noticeable is probably something most of us will want.”
(P1, Hard of Hearing, spoken)
Multi-Point Stimulation
The brain integrates vibrations from different body areas to mimic how ears process sound. Mapping frequencies to multiple points enhances musical perception.
“Normally the vibrations that you're feeling are the bass of the music instead of all the other notes. So I feel like if you could do vibrations that amplify the vibrations of other notes in the songs, that would have more significance.”
(P2, Deaf, spoken)
Freedom of Movement
Users want to dance and move freely. Unlike bulky vibrotactile chairs, a lightweight wearable ensures an immersive experience without restricting motion.
“Being able to move freely and actually enjoy the concert I think from anyone's perspective is important.”
(P1, Hard of Hearing, spoken)
“When dancing to music, I can feel my ear hair moving and my chest beating.”
(P3, Deaf, sign)
Our research guided us toward a wearable, multi-unit vibrotactile device. To simplify controls, we designed a companion app that allows users to adjust vibration on/off, intensity, and frequency mapping. Each unit attaches to the body using an adhesive patch, allowing flexible placement anywhere.
The testing aimed to evaluate the prototype’s functionality across diverse user profiles while identifying areas for improvement to create an inclusive and user-centred design. The goal of this recruitment was to include users from diverse backgrounds. We were fortunate to have both live music audiences (1 Deaf, 1 Hard of Hearing, 1 hearing) and event organizers (2 hearing) in the testing.
Our test mainly includes three parts:
Cardboard units: We made four full-size cardboard units for participants to hold and place on their bodies.
App screens: We used medium-fidelity mobile app screens to test if participants could correctly understand the meanings and functions of key elements.
Functional prototype: Four bone conduction speakers were secured to the body with elastic straps to mimic the vibration of the Vibey device.
After 3 iterations, we finalized Vibey’s design. It's a wearable device that transforms sound into tactile vibrations, allowing users to feel the rhythm and energy of the music. The design prioritized portability, cost-effectiveness, and inclusivity, addressing the challenges of traditional vibration-based solutions like chairs.
The Unit
Each set of Vibey contains 4 units. The unit will be fixed on the user's body and convert the music signal into vibration. At the same time, the user can complete some simple but necessary controls on the unit, including pausing, adjusting intensity, and switching channels. The light on the unit can display the remaining power and device number.
The Case
Vibey includes a case, which not only stores the unit, but also charges the unit. When the unit is placed in the case, it will automatically charge.
The App
With Vibey mobile app, users can create and mix their own vibratons.
