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Think how much easier life would be if, in a crowded and noisy bar, you could tune in to what your friend is saying on the other side of a room and block out all other conversations.

This is what one designer is suggesting might be possible in just a year or two – and it could come in especially handy for spies operating in crowded public places. 

Mark Rolston of Argodesign, California, thinks we will one day be able to wear devices that give us 'superpowers' such as ultra-directional hearing, incredible motor skills and anonymity when we want it.

LaLaLa looks like a futuristic hearing aid. It is currently just a concept, but its creator thinks it could allow users to hone in on specific noises and conversations  in busy spaces, by simply pointing at the person you would like to listen to - and he thinks this could happen in just a couple of years

He came up with a concept called LaLaLa, which looks like a futuristic hearing aid.

'LaLaLa would allow you to hear life as you intend it, though selective hearing, sound filtering, voice modification and more,' Renae Alsobrook, operations manager at the firm told MailOnline.

The design for the device takes inspiration from noise cancelling headphones, which block out background sounds. 

But unlike the headphones, LaLaLa could amplify wanted sounds too, such as a conversation, Fast Company reported.

If the concept becomes a reality, the gadget would be able to track movement to zone in on a particular person.

The ultimate goal is for a wearer to point or nod in the direction of a person they would like to hone in on and amplify their what they are saying.

The conceptual device (pictured) is designed to be the size of an ear bud and could contain an array of microphones for sound isolation. It would also incorporate a camera for object recognition and gesture control. Its creator thinks the device could one day replace smartphones and people would ear it constantly

'Utilising an advanced microphone array and motion sensing camera, LaLaLa allows you to point at a sound target in order to isolate and adjust the volume of everything else around you,' Mr Alsobrook explained.

'The device is as small as a Bluetooth earbud, and contains an array of microphones for sound isolation. It also provides object recognition and gesture control. 

'Using a built-in camera, LaLaLa can take pictures, provide object recognition of things you look at and watch your hands for gestures which it interprets as commands.'

Mr Rolston believes such a device could replace smartphones and people would wear it all the time.

It would contain all their contacts, could connect to a phone and allow a new hi-tech type of teleconferencing.

'If this is the next-gen iPhone, the idea of spatially placing people could be phenomenal,' he said.

Mr Alsobrook added: 'We expect that in the near future, many social media apps will break free from smartphones, and become their own form of wearables.

'More than just umbrellas that tell you when rain is coming, these are the apps that reach deep into our digital lifestyles – and when they develop physical manifestations as wearables, their reach will extend into the real world and more deeply into your real life.

He claims: 'LaLaLa could completely redefine the human-aural experience.

'With LaLaLa, you control what you hear; you can drown out the drone of your parents' lecturing, translate a Spanish speaker as he's talking to you, zero in on your friend at a loud party, or mute the loud talker seated nearby in a restaurant.'

'You'll even have a recorded and transcribed history of everything you hear.'

He thinks this futuristic vision could become a reality in 'a year or two'.

LaLaLa could make it easier to eaves drop on conversations in public places, like a bar, and would be very useful for spies. Its inventors think it could replace smartphones and one day include a feature to translate a foreign language in real-time