Building A Sound Camera For Under $400
Benn Jordan took inspiration from high-end motion amplification technology, which visually amplifies tiny vibrations in machinery for analysis, to explore whether sound could be captured and visualized with consumer-level equipment. He first looked at expensive commercial “acoustic cameras” but believed he could create a similar system on a much smaller budget.
Starting with a 16-channel USB microphone from MiniDSP, costing $275, Benn paired this setup with a Raspberry Pi 5 running the open-source Acoular framework for acoustic beamforming. Acoular processes multichannel audio to visualize sound sources, allowing Benn to overlay sound data onto a 1080p video stream. This rig, including the microphone and camera, allowed him to pinpoint sound locations, such as detecting a hawk in a tree, all for under $400.
The project didn’t stop at sound location visualization. Benn’s video further delves into other sound-based detection techniques, like vibration detection and motion amplification, as well as some fascinating biometric capabilities—showing how a simple webcam can even detect heart rate. His work demonstrates how advanced sound and motion detection technology can be built affordably with consumer-grade components and open-source software.
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