D-Box’s transformation continues. The Longueuil company known for its vibrating seats for the cinema announces a partnership with the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz.
D-Box management is due to announce on Tuesday that it has obtained licensing rights to develop and market a motion platform that installs directly under a sofa, recliner or racing simulator.
This device should be offered for sale next month at a unit price of $4,000 for the version with two actuators and $8,000 US for the version with four actuators.
The device is compatible with the D-Box ecosystem, allowing users to enjoy a haptic experience for movies, TV series and video games.
Executives believe the partnership opens up a wide range of opportunities for D-Box.
“It’s a product associated with Mercedes, so it meets the requirements of the Mercedes brand,” said D-Box spokesperson Stéphane Vidal.
“Mercedes wants to promote its brand. In Germany, there are condo buildings that bear the Mercedes name. The condos are the image of this brand of luxury cars and they must meet certain criteria. These are the types of products that fit into this approach to branding outside of what they do today, which is making automobiles. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY D-BOX
The platform in question is powered by D-Box actuators. The device will sell for US$4,000 for the version with two actuators and US$8,000 for the version with four actuators.
He believes D-Box’s new product could “easily be introduced” to Mercedes condo towers.
Stéphane Vidal explains that the platform developed with Mercedes is part of the transformation of D-Box and its “consumer” shift aimed at “democratizing” haptic technology for involving the body.
D-Box has taken a turn towards home entertainment for several years. To achieve this, a partnership with a furniture manufacturer was notably concluded at the start of the pandemic to offer a more affordable seat allowing consumers to have an immersive experience in the comfort of their living room.
D-Box is active today in three business segments. There is the cinema, where the company’s vibrating seats are offered in more than 800 rooms equipped with D-Boxes.
The company is also active in vocational training with its technology in the industrial sector, notably with Caterpillar and John Deere, while D-Box’s residential/consumer segment includes home theater seats, video game chairs, as well as racing simulators. The device presented on Tuesday by D-Box falls into this last segment.
In addition to its head office in Longueuil, D-Box has offices in Los Angeles, USA, and Beijing, China.
D-Box shares fell 6% on Monday to close the first session of the week at 8 cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For a year, the title has fluctuated between 7 cents and 14 cents.