Pixie Dust Technologies, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Yoichi Ochiai, Taiichiro Murakami, hereinafter "PxDT"), which is engaged in research and development and commercialization in the field of diversity and healthcare, announced SOUND HUG™ was featured in the academic journal Noise Control (The Journal of the INCE of Japan) published by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering of Japan . SOUND HUG™, designed for enhancing music and various activities for individuals with hearing impairments, was utilized at the SUPER FORMULA Universal Public Viewing of the Japan Mobility Show.

This initiative was carried out in collaboration with Japan Race Promotion Inc. , the organizer of Japan's top formula car race, SUPER FORMULA, to explore new possibilities of SOUND HUG™. Originally developed for music, SOUND HUG™ is a system that provides real-time sound through vibration and audio. During the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight, a live broadcast of the final races of SUPER FORMULA at Suzuka Circuit was presented as a "Universal Public Viewing". At this event, efforts were made to deliver onboard information, such as sound captured by onboard microphones during formula car drives, to spectators including six individuals with hearing impairments using SOUND HUG™ vibration and light. The race featured competitors including Ritomo Miyata , F1 debutant Liam Lawson, and Tomoki Nojiri, who competed for his third consecutive victory.

Following the event, survey results revealed that all attendees, including those with hearing impairments, expressed enjoyment of the public viewing experience. Additionally, many found the addition of light and sound from SOUND HUG™ enhanced their enjoyment of the race, with a significant portion of first-time viewers indicating their interest in attending the race locally in the future. Previously disinterested individuals also expressed newfound interest in SUPER FORMULA. Moreover, an experimental feature involving displaying live commentary as subtitles using automatic speech conversion system was noted to help participants help understand the race situation. The vibration and light of SOUND HUG™ and subtitles showed that they could enjoy watching the race more deeply regardless of whether they had hearing impairments.

Takayuki Hoshi, the CRO of PxDT said, "It has been shown that SOUND HUG™ enhances interest and understanding in watching races regardless of hearing impairment. In this way, we aim to enrich the lives of more people with the power of technology, and we will explore the possibilities of wave control and five-sense stimulation."

Article information
Yoshiki Nagatani, Kazuki Takazawa, Takaaki Kozaki, Haruki Katayama, Susumu Nagano, Shunsuke Yanagisawa, "A trial of providing onboard information of formula cars through vibration and light ―Experiencing SUPER FORMULA races with the SOUND HUG system ― ," The Journal of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering of Japan, Vol.48, No.1, pp.37-40 (2024). [in Japanese]

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