Hear me, feel me
The Finnish startup Flexound has launched "Humu", a product on the market that could perhaps save some marriages. The manufacturer calls the product "Augmented Audio Cushion".
First of all, it is an inconspicuous small pillow with a finely perforated cover made of microfibre fabric Alcantara. It only reveals its particularity when you lay your head on it. Connected via Bluetooth (or quite old-fashioned with a cable) to your mobile phone, TV, iPad or Playstation, it transmits sounds like a loudspeaker. But this can only be perceived on the pillow or in the immediate vicinity. In less than a metre it is completely quiet. So if one partner wants to read while the other is watching TV or parents are talking while the children are listening to music, they can all be in the same room and no one has to use headphones to protect themselves from the environment.
But Humu can do even more. It not only transmits noises, but also the vibrations of the sound waves. This results in a very intense perception, because apart from hearing, another sense - feeling - is directly addressed. This special technique was developed by the acoustician and violinist Jukka Linjama - originally for use in the therapy of disabled children. The pillow itself was designed by the award-winning Finnish designer Pasi Pennanen, who made sure that "Humu" not only sounds good and feels spectacular, but also looks good. (fap)
