Kia Soundscapes turns landscapes into music through driver safety technology

Kia has turned landscapes into music through driver safety technology with its Soundscapes project.

The purpose is to help passengers suffering from visual impairment have a better experience out on the road through music.

The Korean firm took one of its cars to Santiago, Chile, where the in-built Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) was used to capture images of the landscapes, such as trees and mountains – while the visual input was paired with musical elements.

Additionally, artificial intelligence created a soundtrack that evolves with the change of scenery. For example, music for trees consists of flutes and clarinets, while the mountains are accompanied by deeper notes. Meanwhile, the vehicle speed changes the pace and beat of the music.

David Hilbert, marketing director at Kia Europe, said: “At Kia, we believe movement inspires ideas, so we wanted to give passengers with visual impairments the opportunity to experience the world differently. With Kia Soundscapes, we are making mobility more accessible and using it to inspire the world.”

The project was put together in collaboration with marketing agency Innocean Berlin and music company DaHouse.

The Kia Soundscapes project will form part of two documentaries which will air this month. However, at this stage, it’s unclear whether the firm will feature the technology on its current and future model lineup.