MIT engineers Joe Paradiso and Yasuhiro Ono of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology use a sensor network to work out where potential eavesdroppers are, and speakers to generate a subtle masking sound at just the right level.
The array of speakers then aims a mix of white noise and randomised office hubbub at the eavesdroppers. The subtle, confusing sound makes the conversation unintelligible.
I wonder how such a system would affect behavior patterns of learners in classrooms and other learning venues diagnosed with autism, hyper activity, and other disabiling conditions.