Have you always dreamed of having super senses ? They can now be yours, thanks to science. Sensory augmentation equipment, designed by students, allows the wearer to isolate sounds and see movement that isn’t detectable by the naked eye.
Mother Nature Network reports that students at the Royal College of Art in London have created a pair of headsets (let’s be honest: Transformers masks) that grant the wearer superhuman sight and hearing.
It’s called the “Eidos project,” the first prototype of which is a mask that covers the mouth, ears and nose, giving the wearer the ability to hone in on isolated sounds in otherwise noisy environments.
It works thanks to a directional microphone that captures audio which is then processed in the mask by software that neutralizes background noise. The audio is then played through the headphones for the listener.
So basically, pick your favorite spy movie in which the agent hones in on someone’s conversation across a noisy room. You can actually do that now, even though the mask isn’t very conspicuous.
The other prototype, the one for your super sight, uses software that processes images captured by a camera to overlay movement before playing it in real-time for you, the viewer. What this does is it allows you to see movement that isn’t detectable by the naked eye. What this looks like, visually, is kind of like long-exposure photography.
“We are used to controlling the world around us to find the settings that suit us best. But while technology advances to aid this, our physical bodies remain the same,” the video ( posted below ) says. “What if we had the same control over our senses? If we could adjust them in real time, what experiences would this make possible?”
Practical applications? MNN suggests the super sight mask could be used to study sports techniques while the auditory mask could be used by children with ADHD to filter noises.
Check out the video below, and let us know what you think!
