Two Japanese researchers have come up with a device known as the "speech-jamming gun" to stop annoying speakers in their tracks by using their superfluous word-use against them.
Kazutaka Kurihara and Koji Tsukada have created a device, closely resembling a gun in design, that uses a directional microphone to record a person's voice and then a directional speaker to replay it back to them with a 0.2 second delay. As a result, the speaker hears an extremely distracting echo of their own words coming back to haunt them, while they are trying to continue speaking new words.
The speech-jamming gun was designed around the theory that it is nearly impossible to continue speaking when you can hear your own words being repeated back to you. It is most effective when the speaker is reciting or reading something aloud, rather than presenting spontaneous monologue, and, unfortunately, has no effect on non-verbal speech or gibberish.
Loud mouths be warned: the speech-jamming gun will literally take the words right out of your mouth.
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Trend Themes
1. Speech Jamming Technology - The development of speech-jamming guns opens up opportunities to create innovative devices that can disrupt public speaking and conversation settings.
2. Personalized Sound Suppression - The concept of using directional microphones and speakers to individually target and suppress specific voices can lead to disruptive innovations in noise-cancellation technology and speech enhancement.
3. Psychological Impact of Echoing - Exploring the psychological effects of hearing one's own words echoed back in real-time could lead to disruptive approaches in speech therapy and public speaking training.
Industry Implications
1. Security and Defense - The speech-jamming gun technology can be adapted by the security and defense industry to create non-lethal weapons that incapacitate individuals by temporarily disrupting their ability to speak.
2. Consumer Electronics - Consumer electronics manufacturers could develop portable devices based on speech-jamming technology to help individuals manage and control unwanted noise in their surroundings, improving focus and productivity.
3. Education and Training - The speech-jamming gun concept can be utilized in educational and training settings to develop tools that provide immediate feedback and help individuals improve their public speaking skills and communication abilities.