A Japanese firm has created what it claims is a world-first “noise-cancelling” fork to mask the sound made by slurping down noodles, dubbed “noodle harassment” on social media. Foreign visitors to Japanese noodle bars are often startled to hear the locals -- normally so polite and restrained -- noisily slurping down their noodles with lip-smacking gusto. When the slurp alert is triggered, the fork sends a signal to the user’s mobile phone, which plays the soothing sound of flowing water to mask the offending noise. “We developed a system in which any subtle slurping sound can be detected,” said the company. When the slurp alert is triggered, the fork, called OTOHIKO, sends a signal to the user’s mobile phone, which plays the soothing sound of flowing water to mask the offending noise.

Source: Hindustan Times October 25, 2017 11:11 UTC