Sound company Woojer and FCB’s Area 23 made a real difference to individuals with cystic fibrosis through innovative tech with the “Sick Beats” vest.
Woojer brought relief to people with cystic fibrosis with its innovative music vest
Current treatment for cystic fibrosis uses bulky, uncomfortable vests to pound the chest until mucus is loosened and expelled. Young patients typically feel stuck, tethered to a loud and uncomfortable machine; kids describe it as “the worst part of the day.” So Woojer developed a haptic vest that hooks up to users’ smartphones and pulls music at a specific sound frequency, 40Hz, which is as effective as the traditional therapy in helping to loosen mucus in the lungs.
The system used AI to search 30 million songs in the Spotify library for therapeutic frequencies, identifying thousands of 40Hz songs for use. More than 2,000 families within the network of cystic fibrosis advocacy group Claire’s Place Foundation now have access to the vest, and medical experts have described it as “transformational.”