By Evan Ackerman
MIT Media Lab researcher Tad Hirsh has designed electronic coconuts to be deployed as noise sensors in San Jose, California, an area which is subject to aircraft from San Jose International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport. The coconuts are hung from trees, and when they hear excessive noise from low-flying aircraft, they use integrated cellphones to leave messages at the San Jose airport complaint hotline on behalf of the people, animals and trees of San Jose.
Here’s a sample complaint:
“Uh… Hey. Um, yeah. So… Um, this is…. Yeah, no, like, I’m… Shut up, no, I’m talking. Okay, so, yeah. So, all these planes, man… It’s crazy. It’s like a roooaarrrrr. Dude, I need a pizza… Could you send me a pepperoni pizza? Dude, that would be great. Wait wait wait wait wait, put some mushrooms on that. Yeah, mushrooms. Sweet.”
Check out the original audio files on Tad’s website; they’re exactly how you’d think a hyper-intelligent (and maybe stoned) coconut would sound.
[ Tripwire ] VIA [ Guerrilla Innovation ]
So, does the airport turn the volume on the planes down when they get complaints about noise?
Obviously not… as you can’t really “turn down” the noise a jet makes, however you can reroute flight patterns to quiet down residential areas… and this is coming from someone that has lived within 5 miles of a US Military flight line for more than 10 years…