Raspberry Boom
Humans are only capable of picking up a small range of sounds, which impacts how we both perceive and respond to shifts in our environment. Raspberry Boom, a product created by Raspberry Shake— a company that makes a range of unique sensors and monitoring equipment to collect data on the more obscure and hidden aspects of the environment— is specifically designed to pick up “infrasound” sounds that are normally imperceivable. The Raspberry Boom is simple; it is s a clear plastic rectangle, about the size of a box of movie theatre candy, containing sensors whose data can be transmitted to a desktop computer via Internet of Things technology. The Raspberry Boom is specifically marketed as a tool to pick up sounds made from volcanoes, avalanches, landslides, tornados, and other natural events that humans usually don’t hear until the event has become dangerous or easily visible. The Raspberry Boom could be used for disaster planning and response for regulatory agencies or interested individuals living in areas at high risk for natural disasters. The cost of Raspberry Boom could certainly be considered prohibitive, starting at over $500 USD for the basic setup, though they do offer a discount to educators and citizen scientists to try to make it more accessible. The issue of cost is not unique to the Raspberry Boom; it is a common feature amongst boutique sensor manufacturers trying to integrate the newest monitoring technology into a widely available commercial product. As time goes on and the technology becomes easier to manufacture, it is possible the cost could decrease and make the Raspberry Boom more accessible.
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Climate Change, Data, Ecological Monitoring, Industry/Natural Commodities, Lifestyle, Monitoring, Regulation
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