- Kia Europe has conducted an interesting experiment for visually impaired passengers.
- An AI-backed interface creates a dynamic soundtrack based on the scenery and the speed.
- The Kia Soundscapes was tested in real life, but is not destined for commercialization.
What if you couldn’t see the world passing by your window on a road trip, but could still feel it? For many visually impaired individuals, road trips are experienced secondhand, with a driver or passenger narrating the sights. Kia, however, is experimenting with a different approach, blending technology and creativity to make time in the car more engaging, and maybe even a little emotional.
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More: Forza Breaks Barriers With ‘Blind Driving Assists’ For Visually Impaired Gamers
The automaker recently introduced an AI-driven concept called Kia Soundscapes, which turns landscapes into soundscapes – literally. Developed in collaboration with marketing agency Innocean, the project aims to give visually impaired passengers a new way to experience the journey, using sound to evoke what can’t be seen.
The idea isn’t just poetic. There’s science behind it. Studies have shown that in blind individuals, music can activate the brain’s visual cortex, which is the part typically used to process visual information. That insight led Kia to design a sound system where each element of the surrounding landscape is represented by its own sonic identity. Trees, mountains, rocks, and water were all translated into custom audio cues using studio-crafted sounds.
Music That Paints a Picture
The objects are detected by the multiple ADAS sensors of the vehicle, with a special AI interface creating a dynamic soundtrack that changes depending on the scenery. For example, soft woodwind instruments are used for trees and bushes, and deep resonant tones for mountains. Furthermore, the tempo and the tone of the composition varies depending on the vehicle’s speed.
To see how this might work in practice, Kia enlisted the help of two visually impaired individuals, Anne and Danny. The pair were taken on scenic drives in the all-electric EV9 while the AI-generated soundtrack played in real time. While it’s not yet clear how practical this system might be outside a controlled setting, both participants appeared genuinely moved by the experience.
David Hilbert, Marketing Director at Kia Europe, said: “With Kia Soundscapes, we are exploring how technology can tear down barriers and help us create a more inclusive and accessible world.”
So far, Kia has released two short videos documenting the test drives, and plans to share the original compositions created during the journeys on a dedicated website. Unfortunately, the company made it clear that the Kia Soundscapes is an “artistic experiment and not a commercial feature”. Still, one could argue that the power of AI will bring significant advancements on the experience of drivers and passengers, including the visually impaired, in the near future.
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Kia Europe
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