Inventor patents laser microphone
It seems folks are just incessant in the quest to create new kinds of microphones, with a California-based inventor patenting the latest attempt in the form of the sure-to-be-Mini-Me-approved laser microphone. While most venues have those run-of-the-mill mics -- which typically enlarge diaphragm size to increase sensitivity -- David Schwartz thinks he has a better idea for picking up even the slightest peeps without introducing distortion. His device will reportedly stream damp air containing microscopic water particles through a tube, while a laser diode beams light through the vessel onto a sensor located on the opposite side. When sound waves enter the tube, the vibration of the droplets will cause the sensor to detect changes optically as the beam is disturbed, supposedly resulting in near-perfect vocal reproduction. While confident that the setup wouldn't induce wild fits of feedback, Schwartz's invention would presumably cost a pretty penny, and would likely only make a difference to those professional karaoke singers out there anyway.
[Via New Scientist Tech]
