Our Vibrotactile Dance Studio Flooring

What is a Vibrotactile Floor?

Feel the Beat created a fully accessible tactile dance floor, using bone conduction technology, that vibrates sound through an individual’s body into the inner ear which translates into feeling music and delivers the physical dimension of sound to individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Vibrotactile = Tactile Sound

*Feel the Beat’s modular floor is a protected patented technology under US patent # 10858845

How the Vibrotactile Technology Works

Upon contact with the flooring, inner ear function is bypassed, and sound is transmitted through the bones, engaging an individual’s sense of touch.

Bone conduction transducers take sound waves, mechanical input, and changes them into physical input, vibrations, instead. The vibrations travel through your bones and your hearing system to conduct auditory nerve signals just the same as if the input was from sound waves in the air.

Floor and Floor Technology Lifespan

The transducer itself has a 20-year lifespan and the Permanent Installation of the Feel the Beat flooring has an estimated lifespan of approximately 20 years, with some variability depending on several factors including frequency of use, type of use, care and maintenance of the surface including cleaning the floor and wood refinishing, etc. The Mobile Floor varies depending on frequency of use, how the floor is transported (e.g., is it protected during transport), set-up and storage procedures as well as regular care and maintenance. If reasonable procedures are followed in terms of care and maintenance and the floor stored with care and protected during transportation to and from events, the Mobile Floor should last a minimum of 10 years.

PLEASE NOTE: The estimated lifespan of the Permanent, Semi-Permanent and Mobile Floors is meant to serve as a guideline only, lifespan will vary from client to client depending on the factors listed above.

image of people building the vibrotactile floor for Feel the Beat at Whitlock Recreation Center
image showing the cables that run underneath our vibrotatcile flooring system to power the transdusers
a close up of a transducer that powers our unique vibrotactile dance flooring

Transducers

Transducers are pieces of equipment that transform sound into vibrations that can be both felt and heard through the body. Beat, rhythm, and bass are transformed from auditory signals into vibration, making music accessible through physical sensation.

These are the powerful transducers that help make the “magic” of our vibrotactile floors!

Mobile Flooring

Feel the Beat created a mobile version of the studio’s vibrotactile flooring. Our mobile flooring has been carefully engineered to deliver the same full-body musical experience in any desired location.

Our partner company produced an interlocking modular floor system that incorporates vibrational bone-conduction technology and individual modules that can be connected to produce a contiguous floor surface or a stand-alone unit. It can be readily assembled and comes with leveling ability to provide an even surface suitable for any location.

“The kids could leverage the portable floor and actually “feel” the beat! It was the best experience I ever had at a show before - this one was truly the best!”

— Kristen Blomgren

a young dancer giggling at an inclusive colorado dance event using Feel the Beat's vibrotactile dance floor

Interested in vibrotactile dance flooring for your studio, concert venue and more?

Learn how you can partner with Feel the Beat to leverage our mobile floor, semi-permanent, or permanent flooring options.

Modular Floor

  • Our modular floor is based on manufactured pre-built floor modules that interlock to form a full dance floor surface. The product is made of individual modules that each support a bone-conduction transducer. Each individual module can be connected together to produce a contiguous tactile dance floor with leveling ability to provide an even surface suitable for any desired location.

    • Mobile Panels - 3’ X 3’

    • Framing

    • Attached isolation feet

    • Bluetooth available for single panels

Dancer stepping up onto Feel the Beat's semi-permanent installation of the vibrotactile flooring.

Semi-Permanent Installation

  • Our semi-permanent floor installation is based on prefabricated floor modules custom designed to fit your facility's precise specifications and measurements. Interlocks into position for long-term use, with the ability to detach each module for storage and future use.  The build-out includes framing, attached isolation pads & a finished hardwood floor with a frame border, and a commercial-grade finish using your chosen color.

    • Framing

    • Rubber Feet

    • Embedded Transducer & Wiring

    • Embedded Transducer & Wiring

    • Audio Equipment

    • Install, sand, fill and finish hardwood flooring

    • Choice of color and commercial grade urethane finish.

    *Custom fitting & building an ADA ramp as needed.

    *Custom fitting & building an ADA ramp as needed.

Dancers sitting on the permanent installation of Feel the Beat's vibrotactile dance floor.

Permanent Installation

  • Our permanent floor allows you to construct a long-term consistent floor unit with a professional industrial and engineering team to build and assemble to completion. Includes framing, embedding sound equipment, & finishing flooring with a commercial-grade finish.

    • Framing

    • Rubber Feet

    • Embedded Equipment

    • Finished Hardware Flooring

    • Choice of color and commercial grade urethane finish.

    *Custom fitting & building an ADA ramp as needed.

    *Custom fitting & building an ADA ramp as needed.

Dancer at an inclusive colorado dance event on Feel the Beat's vibrotactile modular dance floor.

Interested in partnering with us?

Contact us today to get started on the sound accessible solution that fits your needs.