Microsoft developing virtual VoIP headsets

Microsoft is reportedly developing a system of virtual headsets that will beam VoIP calls directly to the vicinity of users' heads without the sound spreading to nearby areas.

In an interview with Ivan Tashev, a software architect at Microsoft, MIT's Technology Review reports that the algorithm will theoretically allow for "direct sound from a set of speakers--ideally embedded in a computer monitor--into a person's ears, effectively creating virtual headphones; just a few inches outside the focal point of the sound waves, the volume dramatically fades away".

Mr Tashev said that the aim was to develop a system that allowed for users to freely move around offices and conference rooms while still hearing he VoIP transmissions. He suggested that a camera fitted with image processing software could track the user.

However, there is still much work to be done. Mr Tashev points out that focusing a sound beam requires extreme precision in timing, and this is influenced by a range of factors including the speakers and the composition of the room itself.

Mr Tashev said that he hopes to eventually incorporate the system into Windows Media Player.