Samsung built a motion sickness app for Galaxy Buds and more
Key Points:
- Samsung has launched "Hearapy," an app designed to reduce motion sickness by playing specific low-frequency audio tones that stimulate the inner ear's balance system, potentially alleviating travel nausea for up to two hours after a short session.
- The app emits bass sine waves at around 100Hz for 60 seconds, requiring earbuds capable of producing these low frequencies, such as Samsung's Galaxy Buds 4, though other earbuds with similar frequency ranges can also be effective.
- Unlike visual motion sickness remedies that use screen effects, Hearapy uses sound waves to help the brain better process movement, based on research from Nagoya University demonstrating balance improvement through exposure to steady 100Hz tones.
- Samsung promotes Hearapy primarily as a companion app for Galaxy Buds users, but tests indicate it can function with various earbuds that reach low frequencies, expanding its usability beyond Samsung's hardware.
- Initial user experience with the app involves exposure to a low, loud bass tone that may feel disorienting initially, though the therapeutic effect on motion sickness has yet to be extensively tested outside controlled conditions.