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Category
Innovation / Execution in Health & Wellness
Annual ID
OS24_HW083M
About the Work
ALS is an incurable disease in which motor neurons that move the body age, and the whole body gradually becomes immobile. No effective treatment has yet been established, and the average life expectancy after the onset of the disease is said to be 3 to 5 years. However, consciousness, the five senses, and intelligence remain healthy.
The disease is first described in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. Charcot gave the name ALS to a disease in which pathological changes were found only in the spinal cord area related to movement among patients who had difficulty exercising and lost muscle mass. Currently, about 350,000 people are battling this disease worldwide.
One of the greatest wishes of people living with ALS is regaining the physicality they had before the onset of ALS.
This project aims to fulfill thier wishes by utilizing technologies to create a new tool to help them to communicate with others by physical expressions and achive the future where they will not have to give up their physicality anymore to increase their wellbeing.
The human body generates minute electric currents called an electromyography (EMG) signal when muscles are moved. Although MASA, an EYE VDJ living with ALS, cannot raise his arms because of ALS, we found that this EMG signal occurs inside his body as well. We then developed a UI and system that connects the EMG signals in the neck, arms, and legs to the digital avatar. This allowed MASA to regain its physicality in the digital world.
MASA was able to use his entire body to create a DJ performance that thrilled the audience as much as he used to. This performance illustrated the future where we don't have to give up on physical expression even with ALS.
The disease is first described in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. Charcot gave the name ALS to a disease in which pathological changes were found only in the spinal cord area related to movement among patients who had difficulty exercising and lost muscle mass. Currently, about 350,000 people are battling this disease worldwide.
One of the greatest wishes of people living with ALS is regaining the physicality they had before the onset of ALS.
This project aims to fulfill thier wishes by utilizing technologies to create a new tool to help them to communicate with others by physical expressions and achive the future where they will not have to give up their physicality anymore to increase their wellbeing.
The human body generates minute electric currents called an electromyography (EMG) signal when muscles are moved. Although MASA, an EYE VDJ living with ALS, cannot raise his arms because of ALS, we found that this EMG signal occurs inside his body as well. We then developed a UI and system that connects the EMG signals in the neck, arms, and legs to the digital avatar. This allowed MASA to regain its physicality in the digital world.
MASA was able to use his entire body to create a DJ performance that thrilled the audience as much as he used to. This performance illustrated the future where we don't have to give up on physical expression even with ALS.
2024 Awards
Total Points: 3
Merit
Credits
Agency
Dentsu Inc. / Tokyo
dentsu Austria GmbH / Vienna
Dentsu Creative / London
PR / Marketing Agency
Platinum Inc. / Tokyo
Putz & Stingl Event, Public Relations & Werbung GmbH / Mödling
Client / Brand
WITH ALS / Tokyo
Agency In-House Production Company
Dentsu Creative Cube Inc. / Tokyo
Production Company
BASSDRUM Inc. / Tokyo
invisi Ltd. / Tokyo
WOO INC. / Tokyo
WOW inc. / Tokyo
y's connection inc. / Tokyo
momonga / Berlin
Art Director
Yusuke Koyanagi
Copywriter
Tina Toda
Creative Director
Naoki Tanaka
Creative Technologist
Yuma Shingai
Shintaro Murakami
Kazuya Kishimoto
Keita Kuki
Ken Haga
Kou Mikuni
Atsushi Fukuda
Kai Yokoyama
Yusaku Wakazono
Designer
Jiro Watanabe
Director
Hiroshi Takagishi
Ryo Koshimizu
Producer
Kohei Ai
Miyuki Fujishima
Hironobu Sato
Humihito Anzai
Yuri Takahashi
Wakayu Sato
Kenjiro Matsuo
Yasuaki Matsui
Masahito Kodama
Shinya Inagawa
Kiyoshi Runze
Sound Designer
Nozom Yoneda
Technical Sound Designer
Taito Otani
Business Producer
Naoki Tanaka
Keishu Joi
CG Designer
Takuma Sasaki
Takafumi Matsunaga
Communications Creator
Masatane Muto
DP
Ferdinand Koestler
Global Business Lead
Nozomi Koseki
Global Communications Director
Antonia Collins
Head of MarCom
Petra Hofstätter
Human Informatics Laboratories
NTT / Tokyo
Marketing Executive
Katie McNaughton
Music director
Yoichiro Hatakeyama
Music Producer
Hiroyuki Nasu
PR Director
Hana Moriwaki
PR Planner
Shiori Kakumoto
Shogo Inamoto
Project Manager
Yoichiro Hatakeyama
public relations
Nina Greimel
Researcher
Masato Shindo
Senior Manager MarCom
Yvonne Zvara
Senior Research Engineer
Mariko Nakamura
Ryosuke Aoki
Supervisor
Mariko Nakamura
Technical Director
Yuto Kumon
Shunki Hasegawa
Ken Murayama
Yota Odaka
Kazunari Takashima
Mao Komatsu
Tsuyoshi Otabe
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