FeetBeat

• 

  Sole prototype

Inspiration: There are 70 million deaf people and 360 million people with hearing disabilities across the globe.

In an entertainment context, there are a lot of existing products to help deaf people actively participate in social activities such as concerts, festivals, or parties. There are a lot of wearable solutions like wristbands, headbands, backpacks, and more. But these solutions are largely visible, identifiable products that can isolate users from able-bodied people.

Thinking about that, we researched a few different ways that we can experience music and we found out that a lot of musicians actually get barefoot on stage to feel the bass through vibration. Our feet are very sensible. They contain around 8,000 nerve endings. So we decided to use that as a reference for our idea.

What it does:

An in-sole for people with hearing disabilities to feel the vibrations in a concert environment. Using the app, users can select the venue they are attending, and the specific event within the venue and control the intensity of the vibrations.

How we built it:

The in-sole was built by attaching 3 motor vibrators to an Arduino, which is programmed to make the motors vibrate dynamically with music in the venue. The app was prototyped using Figma.

Challenges we ran into:

Finding the right sensor was the most challenging part. We searched most of NYU Tandon (including both MakersSpaces, the IDM floor, and the hardware booth at the gym), found and broke apart multiple household devices, but eventually sourced it late last night through a friend

Accomplishments that we're proud of:

A working prototype with the kind of sensor that would mimic the final product! We got our hands on the sensor around midnight, so we're incredibly proud of the prototype we have, given the time and resource constraints

What we learned:

How to make an MVP, given extreme resource and time constraints. Additionally, how to utilize our network and mentors to pull through challenging stages and keep going!

What's next:

Making the design sleeker and user testing, user testing, user testing! We designed keeping a very particular target audience in mind, with extensive research and a deep understanding of the current market. Having said that, we are all able-bodied designers and programmers designing for people with disabilities, so including our target population in the design and pilot stages is key!

Built With

• arduino
• figma
• sensors