Fascinating Window Tech Could Stop Street Noise From Polluting Your Home

Whether it's traffic in the city or a rooster crowing in the country, there are times when people inside the home don't want to hear what's going on outside.

Improving sound buffering insulation could be expensive and noise-cancelling headphones are not practical. But an Austrian inventor might have a less expensive, more convenient option.

Sometimes just sitting in your home can sound as if you were sitting right on the street, car alarms and all. (Image source: YouTube video screenshot)

Can't help it when construction is going on nearby. (Image source: YouTube video screenshot)

Rudolf Stefanich is a finalist in the James Dyson Award for a design for a small device -- Sono -- that sticks onto windows and senses noise vibrations on the glass. It then creates a signal that can cancel out unwanted vibrations, which NBC noted is similar to how noise-cancelling headphones function.

The device not only would allow users to cancel sound altogether, but could allow them to selectively choose sounds to filter in.

A concept design for the stick-on, noise-cancelling device called Sono. (Image source: YouTube video screenshot)

An actual proof of concept and test of such a noise-cancelling device. (Image source: YouTube video screenshot)

The technical specs of Sono.

Sono would use embedded antennas to draw energy from a wireless network and other electronic devices.

Watch this video showing how the still conceptual device would function:

The James Dyson Award is an international design award sponsored by the James Dyson Foundation, which has mission to inspire the next generation of engineers. The winner will be announced on November 7.

City dwellers are liking crossing their fingers for Stefanich's Sono.

(H/T: Gizmodo)

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