HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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Cognito’s headset uses tailored visual and auditory stimulation to slow cognitive decline in patients
dozens of these generators on the market – Veed, Media.io and Flixier among them – that continuously refine the captioning process as AI becomes more powerful and less error-prone. AN OBVIOUS IMPROVEMENT By now, it’s hopefully clear: AV tech is well-placed to bolster wellbeing. In the corporate world as well as in hospitality, circadian lighting, natural imagery and immersive soundscapes can leave us feeling more relaxed and connected to both our bodies and our environments. Meanwhile, video conferencing tools promote togetherness, a key ingredient in wellbeing and overall life satisfaction. In a more medical sense, AV tech – and specifically VR – is a useful tool in rehabilitation because it can help individuals with neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders such as autism, depression and addiction. For those with neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, tailored headsets can ease symptoms and slow down cognitive degeneration. Finally, relaxed screenings and automated subtitles can support neurodivergent audiences, creating more equal entertainment experiences for all. As AV tech continues to evolve, its ability to enhance wellbeing will surely do the same, improving our lives in ways we have yet to imagine.
considerations like lower volume levels and dimmed lighting (instead of none), plus the freedom to speak and move around the theatre during the film. The relaxed screenings provide neurodivergent individuals a chance to experience film as anyone else would, without the risk of overstimulation or chastisement from other audience members. While these screenings are often labelled as autism-friendly, they are also appropriate for other learning disabilities or neurological conditions like dementia or Tourette’s syndrome. Besides relaxed screenings, descriptive subtitles and sign language translation can create a more inclusive experience for viewers. Unlike traditional subtitles, which translate dialogue, descriptive subtitles cover all audio elements from background music to other noises. These extra descriptions improve the viewing experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences and promote AV accessibility. AI-based subtitling is becoming more widely used by video producers, with platforms often supporting various languages, saving time and effort on translation. That said, larger productions may employ subtitle authors to provide quality assurance and make sure the captions are as descriptive as possible (think Stranger Things Season 4). But for videos streamed in real time, machine- based subtitling will have to do. There are
As audio-visual tech continues to evolve, its ability to enhance wellbeing will do the same, improving our lives in ways we have yet to imagine”
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