Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Corporation are pleased to announce that they will jointly put on an experiential installation (an interactive artwork) called “e-plena” at two of Europe’s leading technology events in Berlin, Germany: the hub. Berlin (June 28-29 GMT+2) and the Tech Open Air Festival (July 5-7 GMT+2).
This will be the second time this installation will be exhibited, following its debut at the South by Southwest 2023 (SXSW 2023) festival for media, music, and technologies held in Austin, Texas, USA, earlier in March this year.
E-Plena
The “e-plena” is an installation created by the design departments of Yamaha Motor Company and Yamaha Corporation, in collaboration with research partner Dr Mark Changizi and the Shinsuke Shimojo Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, based on their research into Kando* experiences.
The installation has two people experience it simultaneously, with players repeatedly communicating with each other through non-verbal and intuitive means. Each player creates a “note” on the round touchscreen and sends a rhythmic pattern to the other player. At the same time, touching the note sent by the other player creates a “tone” and thereby plays the rhythmic pattern created by the other player.
Research
Based on the results of our unique research combining science and art with our research partners, this experimental prototype artificially stirs emotions with non-verbal, intuitive communication to produce a connected vibe between people─like jazz improvisation─or the same sense of connection people often feel toward musical instruments or motorcycles to simulate experiences of Kando*.
When we exhibited at SXSW 2023, the venue was always crowded with visitors, and the installation drew much attention, even being the first display shown in the official introduction video published on the event’s social media channels (Twitter: https://t.co/cr6eXGRe1G ).
Visitors
Visitors who tried the installation offered comments like: “I paired up with someone I had never met before, but I could feel our communication start to improve, and it was a moving experience”; “It really felt like ‘digital communication'”; or “This is in the realm of engineering emotion.”
*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous deep satisfaction and intense excitement we experience when encountering something of exceptional value.
Conclusion
The purpose of exhibiting at these two events is to allow as many people as possible to experience the essences of Kando envisioned by both Yamahas and to also deepen the understanding of the core value sought by both Yamahas together with visitors who share the installation so that the Yamaha brand as a whole can deliver even greater Kando to customers.
