The Sonic Jacket from Vollebak is a wearable system built with 180 inward-facing 32mm speakers embedded across the body, arms, and hood. Each speaker fires a full frequency range directly into the wearer, transforming sound from an external experience into a physical, internal vibration. The design removes the traditional separation between listening and feeling, with audio transmitted through contact with the body rather than through headphones or ambient space.
The jacket is developed in collaboration with FBFX, the London-based studio known for film-grade practical effects in productions like Dune and The Martian. It uses a distributed speaker layout and a control unit with an MP3 player, dial interface, and support for custom frequency files. Frequencies range from 4 Hz to 20,000 Hz, with lower tones generated through paired signals that create perceptible vibration through the body.
Image Credit: Vollebak
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Body-centric Audio
- A shift toward audio systems that deliver sound via direct contact with the body opens possibilities for personalized sensory experiences that redefine how content is consumed and monetized.
- Wearable Haptics Integration
- Increasing embedding of dense, full-range haptic actuators into clothing suggests new forms of non-visual feedback and communication layered into daily wear and performance gear.
- Distributed Speaker Networks
- Fine-grained arrays of small, inward-facing drivers indicate opportunities for spatialized, body-mapped soundscapes that synchronize multiple wearers or environments for collective experiences.
Sectors Adopting This
- Entertainment and Live Events
- Live productions and concerts could incorporate body-delivered audio to create immersive sensory shows that change audience engagement models and venue design.
- Gaming and Immersive Media
- Immersive studios and VR/AR developers stand to gain from garments that translate in-game events into whole-body sensations, enhancing presence and narrative immersion.
- Healthcare and Therapeutic Devices
- Medical and wellness applications may leverage low-frequency body-focused stimulation for pain management, sensory therapy, or neurofeedback modalities that diverge from traditional devices.
