A device to replace the "swoosh" of vehicle traffic noise with the sound of crashing waves at a sea shore.

A computer microphone is placed to sense traffic noise (i.e., outside the house, closer to the traffic sounds, etc.).

Software recognizes approaching vehicle and simultaneously plays a seashore/crashing wave sound of duration and amplitude to match - thus masking the "swoosh" of passing vehicles.

Resulting vehicle-timed seashore speaker out is amplified, played on speaker(s) in area (i.e., inside room) where traffic noise cover is desired.
-- wod_observer, Nov 15 2009

Strange you should post this. I was meditating the other day, and the traffic outside just kept getting louder, and louder, till it was very distracting. (when the law school lets classes out, our tiny street becomes like a highway for about 15 minutes a day.)

I began to incorporate the sound into my medtitation as ocean waves, behind my mantra. I had no choice, really. Soon it sounded exactly the same as crashing waves do. So I think this makes sense, at least for me it does.

Doable too. Great invention...well that now is a whole 'nother can o' worms.
-- blissmiss, Nov 15 2009


I dunno - I think that sea sounds timed to swamp traffic noise might be worse than the traffic sound itself, once you got over the noveltly. For one thing, I would guess that a masking noise has to be quite a lot louder than the noise it's masking.

I have often wondered if anyone has worked on effective soundproofing for large areas, other than solid barriers. What would happen if, for instance, you created a curtain of water droplets (with cunningly-chosen diameters)? Or something else?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 15 2009


Add barking dog mode and I'm in. In fact, I'll buy stock in the company. Probably more humane than the thorazine spiked meatloaf I've been tossing over the fence.
-- outloud, Nov 15 2009


Nice, but you'll have to give up that morning cup of coffee before driving to work.
-- shudderprose, Nov 16 2009


I can't decide - in theory it seems OK, but if you've ever slept next to the ocean, there is a point where it can drive one crazy, too...and in places like NYC or Boston, you'd need real tsunami sounds or something!
-- xandram, Nov 16 2009


// If you consider noise cancelling systems,//

Yes, but we're not talking about noise cancelling, surely? I thought this was just about masking one noise with another?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 16 2009



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