Emerge Partners with Sony Electronics to Bring its Multi-Sensory Communication Platform to Smart TVs

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Emerge, a company building a multi-sensory communication platform— with touch, sight, sound, and brain activity— has forged a strategic partnership with Sony Electronics Inc. to integrate the Emerge platform with Sony SmartTV product lines. This expansion of Emerge's product line beyond VR and AR headsets to TVs underscores Emerge's dedication to pioneering communication that emphasizes emotional connection across distance, especially vital in a world where so many struggle with feelings of disconnection.

Emerge Platform to support Sony TVs

Emerge's partnership with Sony aims to promote and feature the Emerge platform on Sony's Android TV compatible devices with a launch planned for mid 2024. As the adoption of internet-enabled TVs continues, reaching 87% of the US population, 1.3 billion devices worldwide, and adding use cases such as streaming video, cloud gaming, and video calls, enabling a new mode of interaction and engagement through the sense of touch has the potential to open unprecedented possibilities. This enhancement can provide a more immersive user experience, transforming the way viewers interact with digital content and each other, and shaping the future of communication and home entertainment.

"Imagine having a Video Call with your kids or grandkids living in another city, and being able to give them a virtual high five or throw a virtual ball back and forth. Adding a tactile layer to virtual communication can not only help us feel closer across distance, but also open new possibilities for shared experiences from afar." -  Nick Colsey, VP of Sony Electronics

A personal connection platform—starting with touch

Emerge is building a multi-sensory communication platform—through touch, sight, sound and brain activity, powered by Emerge Emotion AI. Emerge's anchor consumer product, Emerge Wave-1 was beta launched in 2022, and are available on a limited basis via Emerge's early access program. The product allows users to communicate from separate locations with increased social presence, spend time together in a shared virtual space, and physically connect with intuitive hand-to-hand tactile interactions through mid-air, precise ultrasonic force fields. This cross-platform product currently supports Meta Quest 2 and through this partnership, will soon bring support for Smart TVs, as well as upcoming spatial computing platforms.

"In partnering with Sony, we align ourselves with a brand whose purpose is to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.  Sony has a long legacy of producing generation-defining products such as the Sony Walkman, Sony Discman, and Sony Playstation. We hope that our joint effort in launching the Wave-1 next year with Sony will make a dent in the loneliness epidemic, and help shape the cultural landscape." said Sly Spencer-Lee, Co-CEO at Emerge

Emotional Connection, powered by Emerge Emotion AI

The rise of AI and its integration with various sensory inputs and outputs opens a unique opportunity in the race for technologies that help strengthen connections across distance. Soon, Emerge will also enable users to digitize and transmit their emotions in real-time, an approach that aims to establish a new standard for personal connection.

"As we approach the limitations of our current devices like mobile phones, it's evident that new hardware is needed to fully harness the potential of AI, especially in areas that truly matter to us, like staying connected emotionally. This year has been transformative for AI, which has gained the ability to 'listen', and 'see' through text and image input along with new consumer devices. Now, with Emerge, we're introducing the next dimension: 'touch'. We are thrilled to partner with Sony to further our mission," said Isaac Castro, Co-CEO at Emerge