Pixie Dust Technologies and Universal Engeisha Begin Joint Development of 'Sound-Absorbing Greenery'

Pixie Dust Technologies, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and Chairman: Yoichi Ochiai, Representative Director and President: Taiichiro Murakami, hereinafter "PxDT") and Universal Engeisha Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ibaraki-shi, Osaka, hereinafter "Universal Engeisha") have begun the joint development of a new product that combines the fake greenery products offered by Universal Engeisha with PxDT's "embedded sound-absorbing module," "iwasemi OC-β." This initiative aims to create new value in spaces by incorporating the acoustic function of "sound absorption"—a feature that has not been sufficiently added until now—alongside the psychological and visual functions of plants, such as "relaxation effects" and "visual fatigue reduction." The product currently under development is scheduled to be exhibited at "Orgatec Tokyo 2026," which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, June 4, 2026. ■ Development Background: The Evolution of Biophilic Design and the Unresolved Issue of "Sound" In recent years, the introduction of "biophilic design" has progressed, primarily in office spaces, emphasizing the value of relaxation effects and visual fatigue reduction provided by plants. On the other hand, issues with the acoustic environment remain, such as decreased concentration due to echoing conversational sounds and noise, creating a demand for the coexistence of visual and acoustic comfort. Conventionally, plants have handled psychological comfort, while improvements to the acoustic environment were generally addressed through different methods, such as installing separate sound-absorbing materials. As a result, it was not uncommon for design aesthetics and acoustic countermeasures to be disconnected. ■ Initiative Details: Joint Development to Embed Sound Absorption into Fake Greenery In this joint development, sound-absorbing functions will be added without compromising the external appearance by embedding PxDT's acoustic control module, "iwasemi OC-β," into the back structure of the fake greenery products offered by Universal Engeisha. "iwasemi OC-β" is a module designed on the premise of being integrated with interior materials, featuring sound absorption performance specialized for the center frequency band of human conversational sounds (500 to 1000 Hz). By integrating this product with fake greenery, it simultaneously realizes visual healing and acoustic comfort. Through this initiative, by layering the functional value of optimizing the acoustic environment onto the "relaxation effect" of plants, the goal is to create spaces where healing and concentration coexist. ■ Anticipated Implementation Locations: For Spaces Requiring Both Greenery and a Good Acoustic Environment This product is anticipated to be introduced in spaces where both visual presentation and acoustic comfort are simultaneously required, including offices, hotels, restaurants, educational facilities, and public facilities. - Offices: Achieving both relaxation effects and a concentrated environment in free-address spaces and meeting areas. - Hotels & Commercial Facilities: Simultaneously implementing spatial presentation in lobbies or lounges while suppressing the reverberation of conversational sounds. - Restaurants: Providing an environment that is easy to speak and hear in while maintaining design aesthetics. - Educational & Public Facilities: Contributing to the creation of a calm environment that suppresses excessive reverberation while enhancing a sense of psychological security. Moving forward, through collaboration with companies and local governments adopting biophilic design, customized deployments tailored to the purpose and scale will proceed. ■ Exhibition Schedule An experience kit currently under development and the concept of this joint development are scheduled to be exhibited at "Orgatec Tokyo 2026," held at Tokyo Big Sight from Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, June 4, 2026. ■ Future Developments The two companies will continue to verify effectiveness through demonstration deployments while building optimal design models categorized by application and space. By evolving sound absorption from something you "stick on" to an embedded design element, they will further expand the value of plants and open up new possibilities in architecture and interior design. ■ About iwasemi OC-β iwasemi OC-β is a sound-absorbing module that applies acoustic metamaterial technology to suppress sound reverberation, focusing on the center band of human conversational sounds (500-1000Hz). By increasing the degree of freedom in design, materials, and construction, rather than just sound absorption performance, it shifts the positioning of sound absorption from a "stick-on" countermeasure to an "embedded" design. [Basic Specifications] Release Date: March 3, 2026 Product Name: iwasemi OC-β Size: W140 x H140 x D38mm ■ Features of iwasemi OC-β: 3 Design Freedoms that Allow Sound Absorption to be "Embedded" 1. Freedom in Selecting Surface Materials: Making sound absorption part of the design plan It increases the freedom of choice for surface materials, making it easier to incorporate sound absorption in line with the spatial concept or material plan. Because the sound absorption becomes visually less obtrusive, it maintains the worldview of the interior design.