Francesca always believed that technology would someday be used to revolutionise human interaction. When she met Ryan at the world’s first research institute dedicated to interaction design, the pair bonded over their common interest in amplifying the body’s senses through technology. They started working together under their new brand CuteCircuit and soon launched their first product, the SoundShirt- a shirt which allows both deaf and hearing audience members to experience music and virtual reality enhanced by real-time touch (haptic) sensations. During a live or virtual performance, the wearer physically experiences each musical passage, different instruments corresponding to different locations across the garment. It allows those who are hard of hearing, deaf or hearing impaired to deeply explore the world of music using their tactile senses, rendering any audio into a multi-sensory experience.

‍