Impressive sound camera can actually see noises

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a cheap sound camera, which can detect sound waves and pinpoint the location of the loudest noise-making subject.

The human eye cannot capture the full extent of the light coming from the Sun. Moreover, our ears cannot hear all the sounds made by nature’s animals or anything else that can make a sound. We can only see and hear a fraction of what is going on around us, so, technically, we are almost blind and deaf.

The sound camera has been called SeeSV-S205. It sees in sounds and it has won a Red Dot Design Award.

KAIST scientists reveal SeeSV-S205 sound camera which sees noises

Anyway, this is why scientists have created cameras and recording devices, that can capture all light and sounds. However, the SeeSV-S205 camera can capture both of them, in order to show users the location where the noise is the loudest.

The SeeSV-S205 sound camera has been designed by professor Suk-Hyung Bae from KAIST, who has even received a Red Dot Design Award for his work.

Bae’s camera sees sounds like you see a bee. It weighs merely four pounds and it comes packed with 30 microphones specially disposed in spiral formation.

The microphones capture different sound intensities and then they will display a conventional heatmap. Red will indicate the loudest noise, while blue is the least noisy object.

Camera could help a mechanic hear where sound is coming from while repairing a broken car

Such cameras have existed for a long time, but they were not as portable as Bae’s device, nor as cheap. For the production of the camera, Bae received funding from both Hyundai and SM Instruments.

It is said that such sound cameras will have enormous implications in mechanics. They could be used in car repair shops, allowing engineers to determine where noise is coming from a car’s engine, without getting dirty beforehand.

This technique would decrease the time required to repair a vehicle, making customers happier.

SeeSV-S205 price and availability details remain unknown

The professor has demonstrated his invention on a number of occasions and it is worth saying that anybody would be easily impressed.

For the time being, there are no details about price and release date. Although it is cheaper than conventional sound cameras, it is very unlikely that anybody will be able to afford it, but still it is nice to know that in the future we could see noises.