pësonar

Pësonar is a term mainly used in speculative design, fiction, and some experimental discussions to describe a sensor-like framework that attempts to infer a person’s social-emotional state from sonic signals. It is not a standard scientific label, and its definition varies, but most descriptions treat it as a hearing‑based form of affective sensing that listens to voice, tone, and ambient sound to gauge engagement, mood, or openness without requiring explicit input from the user.

Etymology and scope: the name combines elements of "persona" or "person" with "sonar," signaling an audible proxy for hidden states. In design fiction, pësonar is often imagined as a noninvasive interface that can be deployed in public or private spaces; in real‑world discussions, it is discussed as a conceptual bridge between paralinguistics and sonar‑style sensing.

Technical concept: in theoretical implementations, pësonar relies on acoustic feature extraction (prosody, pitch, timbre, speaking rate) and machine‑learning models trained on labeled datasets to produce probabilistic assessments of affective states. Some scenarios couple audio with contextual data or physiological signals to improve reliability. The goal is real‑time interpretation and visualization, though accuracy is inherently probabilistic and highly context dependent.

Applications and reception: in artworks and interactive installations, pësonar can drive adaptive audio or lighting; in UX research and education, it is used as a thought experiment to study how audiences respond to live communication. The concept is controversial in public settings because it raises privacy and consent concerns and may misinterpret emotions across cultures and individuals.

See also: affective computing, paralinguistics, and voice analytics. Notable discussions exist in design fiction and speculative technology literature.