Sony turning to science fiction for novel ideas

What would you think about a mask that allows you to enjoy the synthesized smells of fine cuisine? How about a floating house for people displaced by higher sea levels due to climate change? These are among the ideas that Sony Group Corp. have dreamed up -- all based on stories created through a collaboration between science fiction writers and Sony's young in-house designers. Such stories offer a peek into the future envisioned through an author's bold imagination, with details of the imagined futures used to develop prospective products and services. This method is called sci-fi prototyping. While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented scenes like those from a sci-fi movie, such as eerily empty cities due to lockdowns, Japanese companies such as Sony are starting to explore unconventional methods to come up with novel ideas.