SENSIKS Organises Technology Cluster - Funded by Dutch Ministry of Economics

Before the launch in 2016, SENSIKS was in the dark about how to measure whether users were actually experiencing lower amounts of stress after leaving the pod versus when they entered the pod. At a trade fair, SENSIKS met TNO, who explained that they were able to share knowledge on the use of bio-feedback systems. Because SENSIKS was not the only SME that was interested in this knowledge, the SENSIKS x TNO technology cluster was born. This cluster consisted of a series of 5 workshops in which TNO shared knowledge on bio-feedback systems, but also on how to capture particular scents, and the exact effect that these scents, wind, light and audio-visual stimulations have on a persons well-being.

 

Multi-sensory and interactive experience pods are a product-innovation leap in which the abilities of a couple of high-tech SMEs are bundled. The transfer of know-how when it comes to solving technical problems was of critical importance for the success of this development. TNO supplied knowledge on the use of physiological signals for bio-feedback applications and supports the ones involved with the development of a system that controls multi-sensory experience programs based on physiological signals. SENSIKS is one of these involved companies.

 

The enriching of the individual experience was a central aspect of this cluster. That's why SENSIKS bundled with other SMEs to develop the interactive experience pod. For example, the following questions came forward in this cluster: Which aspects of forest surroundings are essential for developing a realistic forest experience? Are those minerals in the air? Specific qualities of the sunlight (spectrum) that create a sensory experience? Does the sound of the wind rustling the leaves contribute? And which frequencies of sound are then relevant? And how can you balance out different sensory inputs so that the brain actually get convinced that you are in a forest and that you actually get the feeling of being present in a forest? Is visual input enough or does the body also take in through the skin? To what extent does scent contribute to the experience? And how do we measure if the displayed forest reaches its goal, and how this compares to going to an actual forest?

 

SENSIKS would like to thank TNO for their knowledge and cooperation and is looking forward to any future collaboration.