Smart home hubs are handy for getting daily tasks done, but it can be uneasy having it around the home where it can hear everything you say and do. Researchers aim to fix this issue by inventing a new kind of microphone that can't hear what you say, yet can still monitor what's going on around it.
How the New Smart Microphone Works
As reported on the Michigan Engineer News Center, the new smart microphone called "PrivacyMic" can hear things around it without needing to eavesdrop on conversations. It achieves this by listening to ultrasound waves and filtering out everything else.
Ultrasound is a special band of sound that humans can't hear. You know those dog whistles which you can't hear but sends dogs wild? That uses ultrasound, and it turns out many devices and appliances around your home emit this as they work. You just don't know about it because, well... you can't hear them.
As The Michigan Engineer explains:
Running dishwashers, computer monitors, even finger snaps, all generate ultrasonic sounds, which have a frequency of 20 kilohertz or higher. We can’t hear them—but dogs, cats and PrivacyMic can.
By turning PrivacyMic into the ultrasonic range and ignoring everything else, the microphone can still identify what's going on around it with a 95 percent accuracy rating. And because it focuses on a frequency we can't even hear, it won't monitor human conversations, which means no snooping.
Even if PrivacyMic did pick up something that might identify you or what you're saying, the mic itself can filter out that noise before it's sent anywhere. That means nobody outside of your own four walls will get to hear your indoor conversations.
As such, the PrivacyMic is shaping up to be the perfect choice for everyone, even those who want to keep their privacy to themselves. For now, though, we'll have to wait and see if this new microphone will arrive on the smart hubs of the future.
Keeping Your Privacy With PrivacyMic
Smart home gadgets can be a lot of fun and help you get your daily chores done, but they're also huge privacy risks to bring into the home. Hopefully, the PrivacyMic's design will make using smart home devices a much safer prospect than it is right now.
If you're someone who doesn't care about what your smart home devices are listening in on, it's a good idea to consider it in the future. There are ways you can enjoy a smart home without needing to surrender your privacy to businesses around the world.
Image Credit: metamorworks/Shutterstock.com
0 Comments