Background
Oscar is a young adult from Stockholm. He is a judo master, rock band drummer, physics student and fully visually impaired since the age of 5. Sound is his most important sense when it comes to understanding and experiencing the world around him. And with the hearing expertise that he’s developed over the years, we were able to fully explore the potential of hyper directional sound technology.
“Disability is not the disabled people – it’s us, who put limits on Oscar that don’t really exist.” – Lena Widegren, Oscar’s mom
Assignment
After two years of development work, we were able to let the visually impaired Oscar run all by himself. With a set of hyper directional speakers we created two parallel ultra-sharp sound beams – one to the right and one to the left. These right and left sounds created a laser-sharp sound tunnel in which Oscar could navigate and run straight forward only by listening. Afterwards, Oscar himself described it as a sense of total freedom.
Result
The Impossible Run is a project that opens up new opportunities for athletes with a visual impairment. The project also shows the power and potential of sound design. The project has been carried out together with McCann Stockholm and Bacon Production with hard work, a lot of heart and great commitment.
Awards
International Sound Awards 2017
Winner – Health
Winner – Universal Design
Winner – Social & Culture
Better Sound – Health
Better Sound – Universal Design
Better Sound – Social & Culture
Stockholm Sound Awards 2017
Guldägget 2018
