People with hearing impairments will be able to test the innovative Rhythm Touch, which transforms sound into vibrations perceived on the skin, at the Florin Piersic Cinema Theatre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in February. 

Rhythm Touch is one of the startups supported by Transilvania IT Cluster from its early stages. Before it became a startup, it was a team of four female students from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca: Iulia Bara, Mărioara Mihali, Ioana Popa, and Cătălina Rizel. 

They developed a bracelet that converts sound into vibrations perceived on the skin, offering people with hearing impairments a new way to experience music and surrounding sounds. The team won the Grand Prize in the Innovation Labs 2024 final, held on May 28, 2024, at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. 

The bracelet became a reality after the contest. "This type of initiative deserves support, and we have been backing them from the very beginning. Their achievements place them, in our view, among startups with unicorn potential, and the changes they can bring in the future could significantly improve the lives of people with hearing impairments," said Bianca Muntean, manager and founder of Transilvania IT Cluster, cited by News.ro.

After months of work and testing, including at the Untold festival, the Rhythm Touch product was ready for the next step. The cluster team connected them with the manager of the Florin Piersic Cinema Theatre, Ioana Călin, who was very receptive and immediately supported the implementation of this technology in the cinema.

Throughout February 2025, every week, a film or event will be made accessible with the help of Rhythm Touch technology. This initiative opens new opportunities for people with hearing impairments, facilitating their access to high-quality cultural experiences. A limited number of free tickets will be available for this category of spectators, subject to availability. 

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Internet of Things Student Challenge on Facebook)