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Inferno is a "sonic barrier," a long metallic speakerbar that generates a sound made of four frequencies between 2 and 5 kilohertzs. The sound itself is not louder than 120dB, which is the typical sound made by an alarm, but according to Danger Room's Sharon Weinberger, it's "the most unbearable, gut-wrenching noise I've ever heard in my life." It was a very quick exposure but Sharon says that it was a lot worse than the Pentagon pain ray:
Being a guinea pig for a sonic ray was truly a whole lot worse than being a guinea pig for the pain ray. I would happily volunteer again to be hit by the Pentagon's pain ray. It was fun, like being Bugs Bunny dancing around when Elmer Fudd tries to shoot him. I never, ever again want to be hit by the Inferno.
While the sensation was unbearable, Sharon and her husband didn't actually experiment the extreme reactions that this sound will cause if you are exposed to it for a longer time. According to the US director for Inferno, the Swedish-made sound alarm will cause "vertigo, nausea, and pain in the chest." The device is designed to work with security systems, making people leave a protected area immediately. [Danger Room]