The invention is predicted to be used as a form of crowd control.
The US Navy has developed a new form of non-lethal weapon designed to stop people talking. A special device effectively repeats the speaker's voice while he tries to speak, transmits with reference to.
AHAD was developed by Navy engineers at the US Navy's Indiana Development Center, which develops hand and crew weapons for service.
The main idea of the weapon is to disorient the target so much that it cannot communicate effectively with other people.
The sound is called Acoustic Hell and Hell (AHAD), and the weapon is capable of recording speech and instantly transmitting it to a target in milliseconds.
“In accordance with the explanation for the discovery, the target's speech is directed to it twice — immediately and after a short delay. This delay creates a delayed auditory feedback (DAF) that alters the speaker's normal perception of his or her own voice. In normal speech, the speaker hears his own words with a slight delay, and the body is used to this feedback. When another source of audio feedback is introduced with a sufficiently long delay, the speaker's concentration is disturbed, and it becomes difficult to keep talking, ”the patent says.
AHAD works with a series of directional microphones and speakers that can target the speaker's voice. The speech is then recorded and transmitted back in the same direction.
The patent also states that in the case of targeting AHAD to a wall or corner, the system also «can project sound onto the target's surface so that the sound appears to be emitting from the target.»
Interestingly, only the speaker will hear the broadcast sound. Not only will this confuse the target, but in the end it will prevent them from focusing and continuing the conversation. The target's behavior will be noticeably altered as a result of the action, which is likely to also confuse everyone who listened to the person.
“In other words, such a weapon will make you think that you are crazy, and so will the people around you,” says Interesting Engineering.
This technique can be most effective when the repetitive speech is a syllable or two behind the target speaker's broadcast — similar to how the echo of your own voice distracts during a phone call.
Devices such as AHAD may have other programs. For example, it can be used as a form of electronic device for making ship-to-ship calls.
This sonic weapon is capable of focusing sound waves at high decibel levels at a target that will experience migraines, ringing in the ears, or mild pain and discomfort. How the US Armed Forces will deploy and use AHAD is still unknown, but it is important to note that the device is unlikely to be used on the battlefield anytime soon — it will likely be used as a form of crowd control.