The entrancing way in which a synesthete experiences the world is no longer hard to fathom. Hideaki Matsui and Momo Miyazaki, students at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, have developed an instrument to make sense of colours, both visually and audibly.

The concept behind their cross-sensory system is that each base colour (red, green, and blue) can be assigned to a different musical note (A, D, and F). A webcam then detects the colour and size of a liquid drop and translates it into sounds. When the primary colours are mixed to make purple, teal, or brown, the software generates new notes (C, E, and G).

Audible Color illustrates how technological tools can be designed to reflect the full-sensory mode in which we perceive the world, as well as to enhance our reality awareness. Research hints that colours and light play a central role in balancing our mood by regulating our body clocks. It was with a similar idea in mind that we created Chromo™, to assist in the release the right hormone at the right time. So, it will be fascinating to observe what role sense-blending instruments could have on the human body.