Emotichair

---- PROTOTYPE --------- PURPOSE: To create a prototype device that allows individuals with hearing impairments or deafness get an emotional sense of what is going on during a captioned movie or T.V. show where themed music and suspenseful noises are used to create “emotion”. The Emotichair is basically a camping chair fitted with speakers that play at different frequencies, vibrating a person's upper back with high pitches and the bottom of a person's thighs with lower ranges. This allows users to experience the “play between different elements of music” and provide an indication of the emotional “vibe” of the piece. One designer states that this device is like “turning your skin into a cochlea," with your skin being like an ear. The Emotichair concept will be available for purchase starting in September. One chair costs between $500 and $1,000, and the chairs likely will be tested in two Canadian movie theaters in coming months. AUTHOR: John D. Sutter. TITLE: 'Emotichair' helps people feel the music. WEBSITE: SciTechBlog at CNN.com. REF: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/15/emotichair-helps-people-feel-the....