Backpacks from Music: Not Impossible represent the future for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who do not want to give up concerts and events. The device consists of two ankle bands, two wrist bands and a backpack that is fastened with double chest straps. The sensation of wearing the device is similar to having your entire body embraced by a massage chair.

One of the first people to test the backpack, or a haptic suit, was Jay Alan Zimmerman, a deaf composer and musician who began losing his hearing at the age of 20. The device met with the artist's approval.

"With captioning and sign language interpretation, your brain is forced to be in more than one place at a time," said Zimmerman in a recent interview with the New York Times. "With the haptic system, it can go directly to your body at the exact same moment, and there’s real potential for you to actually feel music in your body," he added.

The haptic suit was available to the public at Lincoln Center in New York during the summer's cultural events. Users also had the chance to test the new music reception system at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, at the Greta Van Fleet concert in Las Vegas and during performances at Opera Philadelphia.

Amanda Landers, a 36-year-old sign language instructor at Syosset High School on Long Island, also became a tester of the device. The woman began losing her hearing when she was in high school. She first tested the new technology during a private presentation.

Music: Not Impossible played her excerpts from the soundtrack of the film "Interstellar", composed by Hans Zimmer. The biggest surprise, Landers said, was the intensity of the sensation.

"When the song was getting lower, not only did the different parts of you vibrate; it actually got softer and more in-depth," she said in an interview with the New York Times. "And when it was louder, my whole body was shaking. Just the level of precision they put into it was astounding," she added.

Haptic suits have been used in the video game industry for many years. However, the Music: Not Impossible backpacks are something new, as the devices transform individual music notes into specific vibrations.

The technology developed by Music: Not Impossible has been tested at a range of up to 1.2 km from a stage. The backpacks work for both throbbing bass sounds and classical pieces.

Music: Not Impossible is provides the devices to organizations as part of a full-package deal, which includes up to 90 costumes, a team of "vibro DJs" who have been trained to customise the vibration transmission locations for each song in a set and a team of on-site staff members to help people getting the suits on, answer questions and solve technical problems.

Prices start at a few thousand dollars for a "basic experience". This includes a couple of suits and a "vibro DJ". The amount for lending the equipment can reach a six-figure sum for events where a large number of haptic suits needs to be brought in, the New York Times reports.

Source: The New York Times