We are opening the Niu program to develop autonomous emotional support booths for children in public spaces
We are opening Niu Program, a new yeshcube applied research line developing forms of emotional support for children and families in public spaces.
The program begins with a specific question: can we bring a lower-stimulation environment to the place where a child feels overwhelmed, instead of requiring them to leave that setting to find support?
To answer it, we will develop Somia Niu, an autonomous, screen-free booth combining acoustic separation, sound, music, narrative and voice conversation. It is intended to provide brief support experiences in education and healthcare settings, cultural and retail spaces, and transport facilities.
Niu does not begin as a finished product. It begins as an open program for research, design and collaboration.
Bringing support closer to where it is needed
Noise, lighting, crowds and unpredictability can create sensory and emotional overload. This can affect any child and is particularly relevant for some neurodivergent children.
Sensory rooms and other specialist resources play a valuable role, but they are not always nearby when overwhelm occurs. Niu Program explores a complementary possibility: small calm environments integrated into the places that children and families use every day.
The booth is not intended to replace family support, professional care or therapeutic spaces. We want to research how it can complement them and provide support that is accessible, immediate and suited to its setting.
Somia Niu: voice, sound and screen-free experiences
Somia Niu will apply the Somia architecture to experiences designed specifically for children.
We will explore how to combine different resources according to the moment and need:
- Soundscapes and music to reduce the load created by the surrounding environment.
- Narratives that help focus attention and restore a sense of reference.
- Brief, understandable conversational interactions.
- Periods of silence when adding another stimulus would not be useful.
The interaction will be audio-first and zero-screen. The technology will respond to what a child expresses in words within defined experiences. It will not diagnose or automatically interpret emotions or tone of voice.
The design must support immediate exit, simple use and access conditions defined with families, professionals and the organizations responsible for each setting.
A phased research program
Niu Program will progress in stages. We will first define usage contexts, age profiles, experiences and the necessary safeguards. We will then develop prototypes and run supervised pilots with families and partner organizations.
We will evaluate factors directly related to the usefulness and quality of the experience: comprehension, ease of use, acceptance among children and adults, perceived usefulness, accessibility and incidents.
The yeshcube Evidence Readiness Level framework will structure this process according to the maturity of the evidence and document what we know at each stage. Findings will inform the design and the program’s next steps.
We are opening Niu Program to collaborators
Developing a solution for children requires specialist knowledge and real learning environments. We are therefore opening Niu Program to organizations that want to build it with us:
- Research groups in child development, occupational therapy, sensory integration, neurodiversity, voice interaction, music therapy or sound therapy.
- Family associations and organizations working with children.
- Education, healthcare and social organizations, and public-space operators interested in contributing to design or hosting pilots.
- Technology and industrial partners supporting booth development and operation.
- Organizations able to support and fund independent applied research with shared outcomes.
Allies will provide the framework for these collaborations, define responsibilities and connect research, design, technology and real-world application.
Niu Program begins with a hypothesis and a clear direction: to bring calm and support experiences to the places where families may need them. We now want to bring together the capabilities required to research, build and test that proposition.
If your organization works with children, neurodiversity, research or public-space management, we would like to hear from you.
Frequently asked questions
What is Niu Program?
Niu Program is a yeshcube applied research line developing and validating forms of emotional support for children based on voice, sound and lower-stimulation spaces.
What is Somia Niu?
Somia Niu is the solution we are developing within the program: an autonomous, screen-free booth designed to provide brief sound, narrative and voice-conversation experiences in public spaces.
Where could Somia Niu booths be installed?
The program will study their use in education and healthcare settings, cultural and retail spaces and transport facilities, with suitable access, supervision and safety conditions.
How can an organization collaborate with Niu Program?
We are looking for research groups, children’s and neurodiversity organizations, pilot hosts, technology and industrial partners, and organizations able to support applied research.
