An accessibility hardware initiative for theatrical audiences. Halo comprises two purpose-built devices — Lumin and Oxbit — designed to make cinema accessible to audiences with hearing loss, auditory sensitivities, and related needs.
Project Halo is Onyx Labs' accessibility hardware initiative, addressing a gap in the theatrical experience for audiences with auditory needs. Current solutions — like Dolby's CaptiView captioning devices — are considered dated, cumbersome, and disruptive to the viewing experience.
Halo takes a different approach: two dedicated devices, each purpose-designed for a specific accessibility need, built to integrate naturally into the cinema environment rather than feeling like an afterthought.
Note: Project Halo is currently in concept phase. The specifications below represent design intent, not finalized technical documentation.
Lumin replaces traditional cup-holder captioning devices with a pair of augmented reality glasses that overlay closed captions directly into the viewer's field of view. Rather than glancing down at a small illuminated screen mounted on a seat-back cup holder, captions appear spatially positioned within the viewing experience itself.
The CaptiView system requires viewers to mount a device in their cup holder, position it near their line of sight, and read from a small screen that emits its own light. In dark theatre environments, this creates glare, requires constant gaze redirection, and is conspicuous to neighboring viewers. Lumin addresses each of these friction points.
Oxbit is a headset designed for theatre audiences with auditory sensitivities — including those with tinnitus, hyperacusis, sensory processing differences, or other conditions that make standard theatrical audio difficult or distressing.
Oxbit is intended for audiences who want to experience theatrical releases but find standard presentation volumes inaccessible. This includes people with tinnitus, misophonia, auditory processing disorder, and sensory sensitivities associated with conditions like autism. It also provides a solution for parents of young children with auditory sensitivities.
Both Lumin and Oxbit are currently at concept stage. We are actively seeking feedback from accessibility advocates, audiologists, cinema operators, and technology manufacturers. If you have expertise in AR hardware, audio engineering, or accessibility in entertainment, we'd like to hear from you.
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