Smart wearables have quickly taken over the tech world as this year’s hot ticket items. Innovations as simple as a navigational belt that can guide you around a city to gadgets like the Galaxy Gear, a watch whose most basic and little used function will probably be the timekeeper itself, are popping up in new and unexpected ways every day. This week we are taking a look at Woojer, a wearable audio accessory that claims to let Bass Junkies “FEEL THE SOUND!”. I can still remember when Nintendo’s Rumble Pak was the most physically stimulating media experience I encountered; technology has obviously come a long way since I was a kid.

 
Engineers at Woojer plan to debut a working prototype at Pepcom in San Francisco next week, but in the meantime had this to say about the project:

“The key Woojer know-how lies in the novel tactile transducer that reproduces sound as a polyphonic vibration. The device has accurate frequency response throughout the sonic and subsonic ranges. Clipped to the clothing along strategic meridian bodylines, the signal synergy convinces the brain that the whole body is exposed to high acoustic energy by the principle of “Perceptual Inference”. The device is compact, low cost, energy efficient and scalable.”

 
Now let’s break things down a little more simply for the non-scientists in the room. Woojer works via haptic feedback, reproducing sound as a polyphonic vibration which allows a haptic, noiseless element to enhance the standard stereo audio that the user hears through their headphones. Founder Neal Naimer likens the experience to “being in a club or cinema with surround sound”, similar to the feeling you experience standing near two very large, very loud speakers. The company imagines the product will be a great addition not only to those looking to augment their music or movie experience, but also to those looking to enhance their gaming experience; not to mention the benefits it can afford to the hearing impaired.

 
The Woojer box is backwardly compatible with every console on the market containing a standard audio jack, and comes with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack to accommodate most any style of earphones. Their website has yet to provide much information on the progress of the project, but they are expected to launch a Kickstarter campaign next month to begin raising funds for their initial production run. A final price has yet to be set, but founder Naimer has suggested two devices should go for around $70.

 
So how does Woojer stack up against its competition? If the $70 price mark is accurate, then it almost surely has its rivals beat on price point alone. Additionally, Woojer does not require the user to wear any sort of special headgear or be strapped into a backpack like its counterparts subpac or bassAware Holster – simply clip the matchbox-sized box to your clothing and it rests against the body, creating physical bass sensations through low frequency vibrations. The Woojer also offers improved latency over their rivals, so that the tactile sensation doesn’t lag the audiovisuals. Perhaps its biggest advantage over the competition right now though is the rumored play time – Naimer claims users will be able to enjoy rocking the Woojer for more than four hours at a time. Ba-BOOM!