NeuroDigital Technologies: DM

Credits & Description:

Media: Interactive
Category: Public interest
Link: http://www.touchingmasterpiece...
Client: The National Gallery of Prague
Agency: Geometry Prague
Production: Telegram Films
Director: Carlos Baer
Country: Czech Republic
Chief Creative Officer: Howard Smiedt
Creative Director: Julia Dovlatova
Senior Creative: Luis Rotger
Senior Creative: Carlos Baer
Art Director: Andrei Didyk
Junior Copywriter: Kai Granaas
Managing Director: Martin Pesta
Client Service Director: Iva Welker
Account Director: Jan Dvorak
Account Executive: Tereza Balasová
Content Manager: Anna Eliasová
Production Manager: Vendula Malochová
Web development: Digital Dosis
—Neurodigital
CEO: Luis Castillo
Head of Development: Manuel Pasamontes
Neuroscientist Advisor: Francisco Nieto
Tech Developers: Daniel Sierra and Antonio Garcia
Leontinka Foundation
—Leontinka Foundation
Executive Director: Barbara Hucková
Published: March 2018
Synopsis:
Haptic VR for the Blind.
Geometry Prague and The National Gallery of Prague have launched the first VR experience for the blind and visually impaired people with a pair of gloves.
Synopsis
The focus of Virtual Reality haptics development around the globe has mostly been in military or gaming sectors. NeuroDigital’s tech start-up in Spain, had a mission: ‘to improve quality of life through disruptive technologies like Virtual Reality’.
The brief, to find the way how to show to the world amazing possibilities of haptic Virtual Reality in the most impactful way was thus realized.
Strategy
NeuroDigital founded their company to improve quality of life through disruptive technologies like virtual reality. With 'Touching Masterpieces' project they opened up a new age of digital accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, which proved their mission like never before.
Targeted to: 1. Big visionary brands that can potentially invest into the project & technology 2. Museums and galleries around the world that can improve their accessibility 3. Blind organizations and charities 4. Blind and visually impaired people 5. General public.
‘Touching Masterpieces’ exhibition at Prague’s National Gallery was covered by all key national Czech media channels.
The video story of a blind student Kuba, documenting the experience, was placed on social media. Pitched to numerous publications, it resulted in over 215 million impressions in 172 countries - and all that with a zero media budget.
Outcome
For the first time in history blind people can ‘see’ art through virtual touch.
The experience can now be realized globally, giving blind people access to previously unattainable masterpieces. The collection of accessible haptic models can grow endlessly, becoming an ever-growing digital library of accessible art for the blind.
And of course, it can go beyond Art and Sculpture.
The ‘Touching Masterpieces’ exhibition at Prague’s National Gallery, supported by Czech’s Ministry of Culture and the Major of Prague, launched this message globally. The live experience was covered by all key national Czech media channels.
The video documentary of the experience was placed across social media. Pitched to numerous publications, it resulted in over 215 million impressions in 172 countries.
NeuroDigital's message of digital accessibility continues to spread across mainstream and viral media globally, and has started the debate about how much more Virtual Reality and technology can offer humanity.
Execution
NeuroDigital partnered with Leontinka foundation, the charity for blind and visually impaired in the Czech Republic and together, using insights about how the blind perceive the world, created a unique tactile experience so to allow blind people to discover and fully explore a selection of iconic sculptural masterpieces through virtual touch.
The Avatar Virtual Reality gloves customized specifically for this project, were enriched with multi-frequency technology, and haptic maps were added to 3D models, laser scanned from the original sculptures.
After months of development, the National Gallery in Prague presented ‘Touching Masterpieces’ to the blind – and to the world.
The video story of a blind student Kuba, documenting the experience, was placed online and resonated with global media in 172 countries, spreading NeuroDigital’s message of digital accessibility, and sparking a debate amongst the public and tech leaders about how much more Virtual Reality and technology can offer humanity.
Campaign Description
A unique Virtual Reality experience for the blind, allowing them to ‘see’ world’s most iconic masterpieces - not with a headset, but with a pair of gloves.
For centuries, art has been a universal medium of expression connecting history, culture and generations.
However, out of all people living, over 36 million people are blind from birth, and 217 million, severely visually impaired. And even in today’s information age, blind people are still deprived from experiencing the majesty of art in its various forms and millions of people have literally never ‘seen’ or touched sculptural masterpieces such as ‘Nefertiti’, ‘Venus de Milo’ or ‘David’, naming just a few – until now.
‘Touching Masterpieces’ unique tactile experience opens up a new age of digital accessibility, letting blind people see what has previously been unseen.
Brief With Projected Outcomes
EU regulations.
Regulatory bodies: State institute for medicine control, Council for radio &TV.
TV: written information about the necessity to read the instructions.
Local restrictions: No promises about improving the health condition. Never induce over usage of the medicines or saying without it status worsens. Suggest consult doctor. 15 +
Audience
‘Touching Masterpieces’ has created a new age of digital accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.
Thanks to specially designed haptic gloves, this unique Virtual Reality experience has allowed the blind to ‘see’ some of the world’s iconic sculptural masterpieces for the first time in history.