Transportation noise pollution - Control and abatement

Control and abatement of transportation noise pollutio

The influence of auditory feedback on speed choice, violations and comfort in a driving simulation game

Two experiments are reported which explore the relationships between auditory feedback (engine noise), speed choice, driving violations and driver comfort. Participants played a driving simulation game with different levels of auditory feedback in the form of engine noise. In Experiment 1, a between-subjects design revealed that no noise and low levels of engine noise (65 dB(A)) resulted in participants driving at faster speeds than in the medium (75 dB(A)) and high (85 dB(A)) levels of engine noise conditions. The low noise feedback conditions were also associated with decreases in driver comfort. Experiment 2 also demonstrated that low levels of engine noise feedback (no feedback and 70 dB(A)) were associated with increases in driving speed, and driving violations relative to higher levels of feedback (75 dB(A) and 80 dB(A)). Implications exist for current car manufacturing trends which emphasise a growing increase in noise insulation for the driver. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A Multistage Procedure of Mobile Vehicle Acoustic Identification for Single-Sensor Embedded Device

Mobile vehicle identification has a wide application field for both civilian and military uses. Vehicle identification may be achieved by incorporating single or multiple sensor solutions and through data fusion. This paper considers a single-sensor multistage hierarchical algorithm of acoustic signal analysis and pattern recognition for the identification of mobile vehicles in an open environment. The algorithm applies several standalone techniques to enable complex decision-making during event identification. Computationally inexpensive procedures are specifically chosen in order to provide real-time operation capability. The algorithm is tested on pre-recorded audio signals of civilian vehicles passing the measurement point and shows promising classification accuracy. Implementation on a specific embedded device is also presented and the capability of real-time operation on this device is demonstrated

Who is the bigger culprit? Studying impacts of traffic and land use on noise levels in CBD area of Karachi, Pakistan

The trend of urbanization has attracted increased attention towards urban areas around the world. Central business districts (CBDs) serve as the core of commercial activities of urban areas and are often associated with high-density population. Noise pollution in urban areas, especially CBDs, is considered as an important issue for planners and policy makers especially with regard to human health. Noise prediction models for CBD area of Karachi, Pakistan, have been developed in this study using land use and traffic parameters. These models show that traffic and built-up space (especially residential land use) contribute positively and vacant space contributes negatively to the noise levels. However, it was found that traffic volume has higher impact, than land use, in terms of on noise levels in CBD area. The models of this research are anticipated to be used for planning of urban CBD areas in other cities where noise levels do not meet international health standards. In addition, they would be useful in calculating the rate of traffic volume associated with residential land use

CPX based synthesis for binaural auralization of vehicle rolling noise to an arbitrary positioned stander-by receiver

Virtual reality is becoming an important tool for studying the interaction between pedestrians and road vehicles, by allowing the analysis of potentially hazard situations without placing subjects in real risk. However, most of the current simulators are unable to accurately recreate traffic sounds that are congruent with the visual scene. This has been recognized as a fault in the virtual audio-visual scenarios used in such contexts. This study proposes a method for delivering a binaural auralization of the noise generated by a moving vehicle to an arbitrarily located moving listener (pedestrian). Building on previously developed methods, the proposal presented here integrates in a novel way a dynamic auralization engine, thus enabling real-time update of the acoustic cues in the binaural signal delivered via headphones. Furthermore, the proposed auralization routine uses Close ProXimity (CPX) tyre-road noise signal as sound source input, facilitating the quick interchangeability of source signals, and easing the noise collection procedure. Two validation experiments were carried out, one to quantitatively compare field signals with CPX-derived virtual signal recordings, and another to assess these same signals through psychoacoustic models. The latter aims to assure that the reproduction of the synthesized signal is perceptually similar to one occurring on pedestrian/vehicle interactions during situations of street crossing. Discrepancies were detected, and emphasized when the vehicle is within close distance from the receiver (pedestrian). However, the analysis indicated that these pose no hindrance to the study of vehicle–pedestrian interaction. Improvements to the method are identified and further developments are proposed.This work was supported by the ‘‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” [PTDC/ECM-TRA/3568/2014, SFRH/BD/131638/2017, UIDB/04029/2020] This work is part of the activities of the research project AnPeB – ‘‘ANalysis of PEdestrians Behaviour based on simulated urban environments and its incorporation in risk modelling” (PTDC/ECM TRA/3568/2014), funded by the ‘‘Promover a Produção Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Constituição de Redes Temáti cas” (3599-PPCDT) project and supported by the ‘‘European Com munity Fund FEDER” and the doctoral scholarship SFRH/ BD/131638/2017, funded by ‘‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnolo gia (FCT)”

Assessing the potential of autonomous submarine gliders for ecosystem monitoring across multiple trophic levels (plankton to cetaceans) and pollutants in shallow shelf seas

A combination of scientific, economic, technological and policy drivers is behind a recent upsurge in the use of marine autonomous systems (and accompanying miniaturized sensors) for environmental mapping and monitoring. Increased spatial–temporal resolution and coverage of data, at reduced cost, is particularly vital for effective spatial management of highly dynamic and heterogeneous shelf environments. This proof-of-concept study involves integration of a novel combination of sensors onto buoyancy-driven submarine gliders, in order to assess their suitability for ecosystem monitoring in shelf waters at a variety of trophic levels. Two shallow-water Slocum gliders were equipped with CTD and fluorometer to measure physical properties and chlorophyll, respectively. One glider was also equipped with a single-frequency echosounder to collect information on zooplankton and fish distribution. The other glider carried a Passive Acoustic Monitoring system to detect and record cetacean vocalizations, and a passive sampler to detect chemical contaminants in the water column. The two gliders were deployed together off southwest UK in autumn 2013, and targeted a known tidal-mixing front west of the Isles of Scilly. The gliders’ mission took about 40 days, with each glider travelling distances of >1000 km and undertaking >2500 dives to depths of up to 100 m. Controlling glider flight and alignment of the two glider trajectories proved to be particularly challenging due to strong tidal flows. However, the gliders continued to collect data in poor weather when an accompanying research vessel was unable to operate. In addition, all glider sensors generated useful data, with particularly interesting initial results relating to subsurface chlorophyll maxima and numerous fish/cetacean detections within the water column. The broader implications of this study for marine ecosystem monitoring with submarine gliders are discussed