Sony today announced the launch of a new research and development initiative called the "Future Lab Program," an effort to involve customers in the design process for eventual products. Sony said that the program will share concept prototypes with users while still at the development stage, and look to them for inspiration, leveraging their feedback to refine and evolve its projects.

"The design for the Future Lab Program concept logo is based on an "F" and "L" motif that resembles a frame honing in on a target. This reflects the mindset behind the Future Lab Program of setting challenging goals that Sony will strive to achieve through technological innovation, together with input from the user community," Sony added.

Going forward, additional letters will be added inside the logo frame to coincide with the launch of each new prototype, each of which will symbolize the concept behind these initiatives.

The first project from the Future Lab Program will be showcased at the SXSW Interactive Festival, beginning Saturday, March 12th in Austin, Texas. The project, known as "N," is a concept prototype featuring a hands-free user interface that creates a new way of experiencing audio such as music and sound, allowing the user to receive audio information without having to insert any object into his or her ear.