Sony's Future Lab will work with users to create new prototypes
Sony's tech development division, the Future Lab Program, has revealed that it will rely on user input and feedback to help shape its projects during the development process rather than keeping them a closely guarded secret.
The announcement comes as the company is preparing to unveil its first prototype from the Future Lab Program at the SXSW conference in Texas which will kick off on 12 March.
Little is known about the first piece of new tech to emerge from the lab other than it is codenamed "N" and is a wearable device with a hands-free interface.
Sony released a teaser trailer (below) for the piece of tech which promises a new way of experiencing music and sound without having to insert anything in your ear.
Unlike other companies such as Apple, who remain largely secretive about their in-development hardware, Sony will show off the Future Lab prototypes during the development cycle.
It will encourage users to give their feedback and suggestions to help refine the creations and ensure that the company is heading in the right direction with a product that customers will want.
The Future Lab Program is part of Sony's more engaging creative direction which it hopes will help conjure up popular creations for the company and avoid costly failures. Another aspect of this is the Business Creation department, introduced in 2014, which offers employees the opportunity to make their most innovative ideas, The company also launched a crowdfunding and e-commerce platform which allows internal tams within Sony to raise funds for the experimental ideas.