Aurasens’ lounger is a haven of haptic chill inside tradeshow chaos

Tradeshows can grind you down. Yes, CES 2018 hasn’t even started, but I can always do with a little moment of chill, however fleeting. Aurasens’ “visceral, trans-sensory journey” beckoned me with its offer of a little lie-down, free eye-mask (sell-out, I hear you cry) and rhythmic vibrations.

I donned said mask, put on some noise-canceling headphones and let 32 different vibro-haptic points massage, shock and tingle my body from head to toe, if only for three minutes. Combining a stirring symphonic track with some staccato electro, it worked as a showcase for all the different feelings possible, tightly synchronized with musical crescendoes and flourishes.

For a brief moment, I wasn’t in the crush of CES — until a bumbling but beloved colleague smacked into my foot and wrenched me out of it. I was pleasantly surprised how refined the experience was — I’d certainly try to test it out again.

The eye-mask does its best to avoid any visual distraction, but can also be substituted for a VR headset. The team behind the high-tech lounger explained that there’s a second experience to be found when the CES showfloor opens in earnest later this week, and it sounds like a logical extension of these fancy chairs. 20,000 euros ($24,055) certainly puts it out of the range of Joe Consumer, but puts in within the remit of splashy tech companies with relaxation rooms, plush airport lounges and glitzy event launches — all of which were mentioned briefly by co-founder and CEO Olivier Zeller.

The company is already working with movie companies and other content makers to attach the Aurasens experience to forthcoming releases. The aural experience at this early stage might have been a little generic, but once it finds the perfect showcase, high-tech chill could get even better.

Source: Aurasens