Why Sony Wants To Sell You Invisible Technology

Future iterations of the smart home are more design-focused, according to Sony and Stellar Works. In 2018, Sony envisioned a world where technology is invisible. A candle holder that also functioned as a light switch was featured in the Hidden Senses exhibition that year, along with a stone-like item that could alter the volume of a speaker nearby when moved and a bird sculpture that shimmered as it flew when you lightly touched it with your finger. The show offered a fascinating design-first solution to the smart home, replacing screens and dashboards with stealthy technology that fits into your house. The speculative items on show were just meant to spark discussion, but the fundamental notion that modern technology can be incorporated into practically anything is now a reality.

“Invisible Technology”

The concept of “invisible technology” has several different meanings. One theory is that Sony is looking on creating transparent or very undetectable electronic gadgets. This idea fits with the expanding trend of smoothly incorporating technology into our daily life. Transparent solar panels, transparent screens, or even transparent smart eyewear are a few examples of potential uses for technology that can fit in with our surroundings without being physically intrusive.

With their PlayStation VR headset, Sony has a foothold in the virtual reality market, and it’s possible that they’re developing modifications to make the technology less invasive. The objective could be to develop immersive experiences that make technology less obvious and enable people to feel more a part of their surroundings. Also included in the definition of “invisible technology” are improvements in wireless networking and communication. It’s possible that Sony is working on wireless solutions that do away with obvious cords and connectors to better incorporate technology into our daily lives.

What Sony Has To Offer The Modern World?

Sony recently revealed a collection of furniture designs, which were on display at an exhibition at NYCxDesign’s Staydream design festival in New York City. The collection of subtly tech-infused smart home goods was created in partnership with the Shanghai-based furniture manufacturer Stellar Works. Items in the collection include an upholstered room divider called Byobu that has a number of Sony speakers hidden inside it, an unusual wallpaper with an overlay digital projection of elements that move that can be activated by sliding a mug on a nearby coffee table, and an interactive glass screen showing a misty mountain scene.

Staydream builds on Hidden Senses, but at this point, the offers are more focused around the hospitality sector, where experience is, of course, everything, according to Hirotaka Tako, head of Sony’s Design Centre in Europe. Yuichiro Hori, the creator, and CEO of Stellar Works, argues that the dynamic wallpaper, as an illustration, might liven up the wall behind a registration desk. The speaker-enhanced Byobu dividers, meanwhile, would be a wonderful addition to a hotel lobby. Sony hopes to expand its business opportunities and make it easier for its ideas to go from idea to market by collaborating with Stellar Works. Tako explains, “We wanted to make it more realistic, with actual furniture that we can’t produce. The Stellar Works furniture items are now prototypes that are too costly to put on the market, but the team hopes to lower the cost and produce products that are simple to carry and assemble within the next six months.

The ultimate objective is to investigate the boundary between the physical and digital worlds and provide individuals with distinctive experiences by allowing them to engage with the environments they are in. No smart home or cutting-edge hotel room will ever compare to the excitement we had when we discovered that we were able to create the moon on that wallpaper glide by just sliding a cup on a table. A magic wallpaper may seem pointless, and it probably is, but neither can a smart home nor a high-tech hotel room.