New Products

They call Woojer the “first ever matchbox sized augmented reality haptic audio device,” but it’s really just a wearable woofer. Plug your phone/music player/game system and headphones into the tiny transducer, clip it to your shirt or belt, and literally “feel the sound.” Best part, Woojer transforms any audio signal into a silent tactile sensation felt throughout your body, confirming for family and friends that you have, indeed, lost your mind as you move and groove in your invisible disco.

Based on the principle of perceptual inference—filling in gaps with incomplete sensory information—Woojer’s patent-pending transducer creates low-frequency vibrations that travel through your skeleton and nervous system, convincing your brain that your entire body is exposed to high acoustic energy. A FAQ on kickstarter.com explains it this way: “We simply amplify the frequencies below 500 hertz and deliver polyphonic (multi-tone) vibration in real time.”

It took Woojer almost three years to perfect the technology and get it to work in a device that would fit in a shirt pocket, said inventor Mor Efrati, noting that early prototypes were the size of a shoebox. Along the way, researchers discovered that the device can be a boon for the hearing impaired—gaming in particular becomes a far more enjoyable experience.

How long can you shake, rattle, and roll with Woojer? Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery is said to provide more than 4 hours of playtime on a 2-hour charge. Wanna get really crazy? Clip on two Woojers—one to your shirt in the middle of your chest, the other on the back of your belt near your spine—and let the shake fest begin.

Woojer will be available in April for $99, following a successful round of fund-raising at Kickstarter, which netted $43,000 more than the company’s stated goal of $100k.