HAPTIC FIELD Wins Good Design Award

The "HAPTIC FIELD," a sports viewing device for the visually impaired developed by PARA - SPORTS LAB. (Parasports Lab), in which Dentsu Inc. participates, has won the "2021 Good Design Award" hosted by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

HAPTIC FIELD is a device enabling visually impaired individuals to watch Blind Soccer® in real time through hand-based tactile feedback. It generates raised bumps that move in real time to indicate the ball's position during matches. Developed with the aim of enhancing the sports viewing experience for the visually impaired, it can also be applied to sports other than Blind Soccer®.
In collaboration with Kawasaki Frontale, it was applied to soccer and trialed during a J1 League match on October 18, 2020, receiving positive feedback.

[Development Background]
Blind Soccer® is a visually impaired sport based on soccer, yet visually impaired individuals lack a means to enjoy watching Blind Soccer® matches. This represents a significant societal loss. Solving this problem requires a viewing experience that relies on senses other than sight. Relying solely on auditory information transmission depends on the listener's judgment and imagination, inevitably leading to variations in understanding the game situation. We focused on the fact that tactile information can convey the game situation more accurately, more clearly, and more equally to a wider range of people.

【Design Points】
1.Small size and lightweight design prioritized to maximize practicality and ease of concentration during viewing
2.Repeatedly verified the size and protrusion of the bumps, along with the fabric texture, to ensure stress-free grasping of the battle situation.
3.Smart packaging design embodying a universal device concept

■ Details on HAPTIC FIELD

【Judges' Evaluation】
The ball's position is indicated by protrusions that move in real-time with the game. Despite its simple structure, it allows users to experience the match without relying on sight. Touching it provides a surprisingly immersive sensation, enabling visually impaired individuals to accurately grasp the game's situation. While such specialized systems often require bulky equipment, this one uses a simple camera and compact devices, making it practical and highly likely for future mass production. Parasports gained greater attention during the Paralympics. As one of the diverse ways to enjoy the games, further development is anticipated.

[Award Acceptance Comment]
Playing soccer without using your eyes. Some people play even though they've never seen the sport. I couldn't believe they could understand and play the game without relying on visual imagery. However, such people are only a handful. I want to change the current situation where whether you can see or not determines whether you can enjoy sports. That desire drove the development of this product. I hope this honorable award contributes, even a little, to realizing a society where more people can experience the appeal of sports.

(Dentsu Inc., Takuya Fujita)

■Staff List
Producer: Dentsu Inc. Kohei Ai, Ryo Miura / Dentsu Creative X Kenya Miyashita
Director: Dentsu Inc. Takuya Fujita, Toru Oyama, Tomoki Yomogida
Designers: Dentsu Inc. - Yuji Higuchi, Shintaro Murakami / Tasco - Masataka Kimura / Ponol Experiments - Kanta Horio / Concept - Shunsuke Nanbu