Sony India Software Centre Co-sponsors Yuru Musical Instrument Hackathon 2023

• Engineers, people with creative ideas, designers, artists, musicians are all welcome to form a team consisting of minimum 2 and maximum 4 persons.

• Each team is expected to develop “Yuru Musical Instruments”

• “Yuru” generally means fun, free, generous, flexible, easy to approach etc. in Japanese.

Sony India Software Centre Pvt. Ltd. in association with World Yuru Music Association are organizing “Yuru Musical Instrument Hackathon 2023” in India. It is expected to take place in the 2nd week of March, 2023 in Bangalore. Engineers, Designers, Artists, Musicians, people with creative ideas can all participate and form a team. With the idea of “giving everyone the pleasure of playing musical instruments” participants is invited to develop “Yuru Musical Instruments“. This will be a competition and the winning teams will be awarded with cash prizes. The teams can create any instrument they would like to play music on. 

Anyone above 18 years old from anywhere can participate in producing music regardless of gender or ability. The team will consist of minimum 2 and maximum 4 persons. Each team is expected to develop a “Yuru Musical Instruments”. “Yuru Musical Instruments” are casual instruments creatively designed for playing music by novice for fun and entertainment. These instruments may include electronic, acoustic, or nontraditional components. Under Sony’s Purpose to “Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology,” various Sony’s Projects support this event and Sony group companies will provide devices like, MESH™, toio™, SPRESENSE™, etc. to the teams shortlisted for the Hackathon. For example, SPRESENSE™ is a compact board computer that combines low power consumption with a GPS reception function and a high-resolution audio codec, and it is possible to develop unique music instruments (developer.sony.com/develop/spresense/). Each team can use the devices freely to give shape to their ideas presented in the Ideathon and create unique Yuru Musical Instrument.

The Ideathon will be conducted online with no limitation on the participants. 10 teams from this Ideathon will be shortlisted for the Hackathon which is to be conducted in Bangalore. Participants will have to showcase the Yuru Musical Instrument developer and perform on stage using the same to the judges in person. Judges of the event will be Experts from Sony, IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation. The winner will be awarded with Rs. 50,000 and the next 2 winners will be awarded with Rs. 25,000 each.

For online registration, the participants can visit www.sonyindiasoftware.co.in/events.html.

This event is sponsored by EdgeTech Project Department, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., Co-sponsored by Sony India Software Centre Pvt. Ltd., Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation., Sony Group Corporation and IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation. In Cooperation with: MESH project, Sony Marketing Inc., toio Project, Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Tomohiro Sawada, representative of the World Yuru Music Association said, “There are people all over the world who are not familiar with playing musical instruments. That's why I want to spread the activities of the “World Yuru Music Association” all over the world. This India Hackathon will be a big step in that direction. I look forward to the unexpected invention of musical instruments!”

Nozomu Kaji, Chief Manager, EdgeTech Project Department, Digital Innovation Group, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. said, “I'm excited that the Yuru Musical Instrument Hackathon, which was held in Tokyo in 2021 and Osaka in 2022, will finally expand overseas, but I'm excited to hear that there are many people in India who love entertainment, especially music. I am looking forward to seeing the “Yuru” that everyone in India has in mind.”

Masayuki Toriumi, Managing Director, Sony India Software Centre, Bangalore, India said, “We are delighted to conduct Yuru Musical Instrument Hackathon 2023, for the first time, in India. It is very much in line with Sony’s Purpose. It has been our constant endeavor to develop, promote and propagate Sony’s Vision, Values and Purpose in India. With the support of various Sony Group entities and IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, we are delighted to announce this event and except a large participation from all creative people, who wish to embark of this journey of Innovation with us.” 

Dr. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras said, “IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation is glad to partner with Sony India Software Centre and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. in this Yuru Musical instrument Hackathon 2023 in India. In line with our theme of establishing technology leadership in Sensors, Networking, Actuators and Controls Systems, this musical instrument hackathon will provide the participants with a unique opportunity to explore state-of-the-art sensors and electronic devices. Participants can design novel musical instruments during this hackathon using creativity and innovation.”

Message from Harumi Asai, General Manager, Brand Collaboration Group, Corporate Communications & Brand Strategy Department, Sony Group Corporation said, “Yuru Music is an initiative that is full of opportunities to create new and diverse music and instruments for everyone and is supported by various Sony Group companies. Under Sony's Purpose of “Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology”, our goal is to create unique entertainment experiences, supported by Sony technologies, that move and inspire people. Sony is pleased to be a sponsor of the Yuru Musical Instrument Hackathon 2023 in India, a country rich in history and culture, and we look forward to seeing the innovative ideas and creative collaborations from this initiative.”

World Yuru Sports Association, a general corporation association, having its head office in Tokyo, has established “World Yuru Music Association” (yurumusic.com) where anyone can participate in producing music and can start playing ‘Yuru Musical Instruments’ from anywhere and play or sing in a chorus and enjoy the world of music.