The vibrating platform : "touch the sound"
Partner
AIAS Bologna
Country
Italy
Participating Organisation
Fondazione Gualandi, Nursery Il Cavallino a Dondolo
Target
This is a group experience, where children can interact alone or in small groups with the tool.
Children are between 0 and 3 years old. The tool is used, among other things, for children with hearing impairment or deafness.
Technology
A vibrating platform which is made up of sixteen quadrants. Each quadrant has a subwoofer under it that captures certain frequencies. It is possible to turn all these quadrants on at the same time or just some of them. The platform is used simultaneously with a video projector. Therefore, in relation to the transmission of a video, and also of its sound, some of these quadrants can be activated. By doing so, toddlers can feel the vibrations coming from the subwoofer below. Toddlers use it lying on the ground to try to feel the vibrations with all parts of the body. Alternatively, they can play the game of find out which wooden square is the one that is vibrating.
Experience and Outcomes
Through this platform, we observed that also children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing could share with their peers the joy of music and stay engaged in the proposed play activities.
Innovation
We consider that the technology used is innovative in that it is unusual for kindergartens to have the possibility to place such a platform in their buildings, at least as far as our local context is concerned.
Replicability
This platform is a permanent technology used in our institution and we use it regularly during the teaching activities.