Sensing Sound defamiliarizes our sonic environment and questions the ways in which our senses relate to our physical surroundings.

Sensing Sound acts as a catalyst for instigating communication between body and environment. Sounds are the first sensory stimuli that humans become aware of when waking up, and the last one perceived before going to sleep. In the context of a post-human future, where the capabilities of the human body are challenged, augmented hearing may become central to the way in which our world is navigated and understood. By transforming the entire body into a listening organ, the often subtle and ephemeral qualities of sound are perceived as a vibrotactile experience, embracing new modes of interactivity in the form of embodied technology.

The device makes wearers aware of their body and how they relate to the space they inhabit, generating a sense of hypersensitivity in what becomes an unfamiliar relationship with their otherwise familiar surroundings. This results in alternative methods for remembering, feeling, and interacting with their environment. The project may also be used as a sensory substitution device for users with auditory impairments.