Junk in the Trunk

Some people think perhaps an assassin shot Charlie from the rear trunk of the black Pacifica parked behind Charlie's tent.

Acoustic cameras

Acoustic, or "sound," cameras are not true cameras in the traditional sense, as they don't use a lens to see sound waves. Instead, they visualize sound by using an array of microphones to pinpoint the source of a noise.

• How it works: An acoustic camera uses a large array of microphones (often 64 or more) to capture and process sound signals using a technique called "beamforming." The device's software then uses the acoustic data to create a visual "heatmap" of the noise overlaid on a visual image from the camera.

• Best for:

  • Industrial noise localization: Detecting specific sound sources within a noisy factory or pinpointing faulty equipment.

  • Noise pollution monitoring: Visually mapping and measuring noise sources in urban environments or from traffic.

  • Leak detection: Finding and visualizing air or gas leaks in windows, doors, or pipes.

Audio cameras produce a digital field featuring the audio source represented as a visual representation.

In other words, one can detect and pinpoint sound sources in real time, using either microphone(s), direct audio or bluetooth.