Otomie

What is Otomie

“Otomie” is a program that visualizes sounds in real-time.
By looking through the scope within the program, various environmental sounds such as the babbling of a river and the chirping sounds of birds are displayed graphically.
Hearing-impaired people can experience the vibration of the sound and the graphics, while those without impairments can experience the excitement of “seeing” sounds.
This original content allows the user to experience new ways to relate to enjoy sounds.

The story of Otomie

Otomie is the name of our project that aims to remove barriers between people, by creating opportunities for hearing-impaired people and those without impairments to enjoy together.

It all started with an idea that stemmed from walking in a park and hearing a bird chirping. We thought that finding a way to display that sound as a beautiful graphic would be a great way for both the hearing-impaired and those without impairments to be able to enjoy the sound together.

There is great fun to be had in experiencing the illusion of really “seeing” sounds as they are displayed graphically at the moment that they are detected.

There are three major future developments:
Otomie for daily life: it creates a new form of communication by “seeing” the sounds of daily life while taking a stroll.
Otomie for Facilities: Visitors walk around in the VR theater to experience simulations of being in famous tourist spots in the world, and discover the sounds they hear there.
Otomie x Art: A collaboration with artwork, to show the visitors the imaginary sounds that might be created inside of the painting world.
Otomie will aspire to break down the barriers of impairments, by creating opportunities for hearing-impaired and those without impairments to enjoy themselves together through this new experience of “seeing sound”.

About SXSW exhibition contents

At SXSW, we will exhibit the Otomie for Facilities content that “show” the sound of nature.
Visitors will be able to experience and be in awe of the powerful natural landscape of Kumamoto via the projected image filling the wall, and experience Otomie by simply stepping on the display projected on the floor.
*The use of sensors enables intuitive foot-operation.

By exhibiting at SXSW, we will develop our project with feedback from the many people who will experience Otomie.

FAQ

■Where can I experience Otomie?
The Otomie app is currently under development and has not been released.
Terminals with the latest version of the program and content linked to the wall can be experienced in our VR room.
Please feel free to contact us to try it out.

■How is sound graphically represented?
The “loudness,” “frequency,” and “timbre” of sound are converted into numerical values, which are then replaced with the “hue,” “saturation,” and “brightness” of color; “shape,” the number of objects, and the speed of movement, to create graphics.

■Are there any equipment requirements if I want to install Otomie for Facilities?
For a limited period, you do not need to prepare any equipment since we will have our equipment and projects available for rental.
We will send you a total of 4 cases containing projector stands, various projectors (for wall and floor use), and a laptop.

For inquiries about the experience, please feel free to contact us!