This Sound-Tracking System Is Like a 'Smoke Detector for Noise'

You may expect your neighbors to get a little noisy now and then (like when they're cheering on a football game or hammering their walls), but there’s a difference between the occasional disturbance and a racket that keeps you up every night. A sound-detecting system called NoiseAware was designed to distinguish between the two.

NoiseAware bills itself as “a smoke detector for noise.” According to Co.Design, the Wi-Fi enabled decibel sensors are plugged into walls where they listen for sound trends that fall outside the norm. Sound caused by something accidental, like a plate falling to the floor, for instance, gets ignored. But if NoiseAware senses a rowdy party or a prolonged screaming match happening in the space, it will alert its owner via text so they can handle it from there.

The product is meant for landlords who want a way to curb their tenants' disruptive behavior when they’re not on the property, but it can also be used by Airbnb hosts or even parents who want to keep tabs on their kids when they’re home alone. NoiseAware tracks general noise patterns over time without recording actual sound, which means the content of private conversations is kept private. Property owners can shop systems online—and even if you don't own your home, you can always try suggesting it to your landlord to deter noisy neighbors.