VIDEOWORKS AND COTON: SOUND TECHNOLOGY BECOMES PART OF YACHT DESIGN
A new collaboration transforms sound into a dynamic element of the onboard experience, bringing together technology, design and personalisation.
Videoworks and Coton, the Japanese sound design company founded in 2019 by Tokyo University of the Arts, have announced a new collaboration focused on integrating sound into yacht design through Immersive Audio Experience.
The innovative solution takes audio beyond the traditional listening experience, transforming sound into an integral part of the yacht’s environment and atmosphere.
At the heart of the concept is Soundtope, Coton’s proprietary technology combining human-created sound foundations with algorithms capable of adapting audio content in real time to changing environmental conditions.
The collaboration brings together Videoworks’ expertise in integrating advanced audio and video technologies aboard superyachts with Coton’s approach to sound as an architectural and design element. Through Soundtope, environmental inputs are translated into dynamic audio content, allowing the onboard soundscape to evolve continuously in response to its surroundings.
The same sonic foundation can generate multiple variations depending on the context, creating a distinctive and personalised acoustic identity for each environment while maintaining a coherent experience throughout the yacht.
Sound as Part of the Design with Immersive Audio Experience, sound becomes an integral design component, interacting naturally with the yacht’s architecture and interiors.
Rather than demanding the guest’s attention, the audio experience is designed to subtly influence the perception and atmosphere of a space, complementing its character and evolving in response to changing conditions.
The creative process begins with the client’s requirements and the vision established by the yacht’s designers. Using selected keywords, sensations and characteristics intended to define a particular environment, Coton develops bespoke sound content that can then be processed by the system to create dynamic variations.
Each area of the yacht can therefore offer its own interpretation of a shared sonic concept while preserving continuity between spaces. The approach reflects the principles of interior design, where materials, forms and colour palettes work together to establish a consistent visual identity throughout a project.
Technology and Onboard Integration immersive Audio Experience is designed to operate autonomously and dynamically through a dedicated system running Coton’s generative audio engine.
The technology can process information relating to both the yacht and its surrounding environment. Inputs may include weather conditions, local time and location, while additional information from onboard systems can be incorporated to adjust the parameters shaping the soundscape in real time.
Videoworks plays a central role in bringing this technology into the yacht design process, integrating the audio experience with the architecture, interiors and wider network of onboard technologies.
The solution can also interact with displays, video systems, lighting and sensors, creating an integrated ecosystem in which multiple technologies work together to influence the atmosphere and perception of a space.
“Sound can become an extension of interior design, an element capable of evolving with the environment and offering a different experience each time,” says Maurizio Minossi, Co-Founder and CEO of Videoworks.
“Our role is to integrate this technology into the yacht design, working closely with designers and clients while placing particular emphasis on privacy and the specific requirements of life onboard.”
Design, Quality and Discretion immersive Audio Experience offers a range of possibilities for integrating sound distribution systems throughout the yacht.
Depending on the design concept, Videoworks can incorporate loudspeakers as visible architectural elements that contribute to the aesthetic character of an interior or employ discreet, fully integrated solutions designed to minimise the presence of hardware.
These configurations can be further enhanced through integration with three-dimensional audio systems, expanding the creative possibilities from both a design and perceptual perspective.
Privacy is also a fundamental consideration, particularly aboard private yachts. To allow the system to understand certain aspects of an interior environment without relying on cameras, Videoworks can integrate LiDAR sensors capable of detecting presence and movement without collecting biometric information.
“Technology should serve the design rather than impose itself on it,” says Stefano Fagnani, Sound Designer and Software Developer at Coton.
“With Soundtope, we explore the ability of sound to evolve and adapt, creating an experience that is not simply played back, but generated in response to its context. This allows us to develop highly personalised solutions that remain consistent with the creative vision of each project.”
A New Dimension of the Onboard Experience the collaboration between Videoworks and Coton introduces a new perspective on the role of sound in contemporary yacht design.
Rather than functioning solely as technology for entertainment or listening, sound becomes part of the environment itself capable of interacting with architecture, interior design and changing conditions to create a more immersive and personalised onboard atmosphere.
Developed particularly for superyacht interiors, where spatial design and strategic speaker positioning can maximise the potential of immersive audio, Immersive Audio Experience introduces a dynamic and highly customisable dimension to life onboard.
By combining intelligent sound generation with sophisticated technological integration and design-led thinking, Videoworks and Coton are creating an onboard audio experience that evolves naturally with the yacht, its environment and the people within it.
