The Swiss multinational Phonak, global leader in hearing aids and systems, commissioned the R5D department of the Spanish agency Eventisimo the design and development of an ambitious pedagogical and commercial project dealing with the acoustic characteristics of its latest products. The project was tested for the first time at the International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians (EUHA), held in Hannover (Germany) from 15-17 October.
The project is focused on the use of Oculus DK2 virtual reality headsets – the latest version being the famous Oculus Rift, of which Eventisimo obtained 24 units as a certified developer of the company Oculus VR. The challenge consisted in getting 24 users to interact simultaneously in a common environment.
The headsets, incorporating headphones, immersed the users in a Virtual Phonal Museum, a space developed in 3D, where an avatar explained the difference between hearing in divergent acoustic environments and depending on using or not Phonak’s different devices. Inside this virtual space, the users changed their angle of vision and hearing by moving their heads. The stereophonic sound allowed them to capture the different acoustic features of Phonak’s devices, depending on their position in the virtual environment. The type of sound was represented graphically on a board placed in front of the avatar.
The project’s immersive experience was regarded by the brand as highly educational and easy to understand for people with good hearing, to whom it is difficult to explain the workings of these advanced devices for the deaf or hard of hearing.
The number of visitors to Phonak’s stand and the time that they stayed there was a resounding success. The enormous demand for this experience made it necessary to establish slots, all of which were filled during the three-day event.
Eventisimo develops advanced virtual reality project for multinational Phonak
