Noise pollution

We live in a noisy world that our brain is constantly processing in order to extract all the information necessary for our daily life. Identified, sound is used to communicate, listen to music or even flee in case of danger. However, an unusual or unknown noise causes an alert to the senses which can result in discomfort for local residents or stress for an operator.

This sound environment that surrounds us is produced by numerous sound sources. Or noise pollution and air pollution are the two main causes of health damage in Europe. According to the report of the National Noise Council, the The social cost of noise in France is €147.1 billion per year. 86% of French people say they are annoyed at home by noise.

Beyond simple discomfort, noise can interfere with sleep and cause heart problems. Thus, a UN report on environmental problems indicates that noise pollution in cities is one of the three major current environmental problems affecting 22 million people in Europe and generating 12,000 premature deaths. These recurrent noise pollution pushes residents to complain to those responsible for the noise caused or even directly to institutions such as Regional Health Agencies or communal services. In fact, these complaints about noise pollution have always existed. Indeed, in ancient Rome, residents already complained about the noise pollution generated by tanks.

Noise pollution, a real public health problem

The WAVELY solution makes it possible to measure the noise level and especially to characterize it via numerous acoustic indicators. In particular, we can extract regulatory indicators such as the A-weighted equivalent noise level (LAeq) or the globally harmonized indicator at European level LDen taking into account this difference in day/night perception. However, the standards and decrees in force do not make it possible to correctly account for the discomfort for local residents. In fact, for the same average noise level, two sources do not cause the same discomfort (example: truck traffic and wave noise).

Thus, we analyze acoustic data to provide information correlated to the sound perception of residents via dedicated indicators and the possibility of detecting and identifying specific events (voice, impact, car, motorcycle, etc.).

Our database of indicators allows us to use our solution for many sources of noise pollution such as major transport infrastructures, but also construction sites, and the noise of major sporting and cultural events.

It can also be used to assess the impact of noise in the environment globally as well as to measure the impact of noise on biodiversity by monitoring the diversity of acoustically active species (avifauna).

Using our sensors allows our customers to continuously monitor noise pollution, rather than spot measurements, with equipment that is more suitable and easy to deploy.

Use cases

Construction site supervision

For site managers, our solution allows limit noise pollution And ofavoid construction site stoppages and in some cases even financial sanctions. In the event of noise pollution detected, local authorities and project managers can react quickly to contain or even stop this nuisance (management of subcontractors, stopping noisy equipment).

To achieve these results, Wavely co-developed with Uby a solution for site monitoring based on intelligent acoustic sensors. Deployed on a sensor equipped with 5 microphones, our solution:

• Measure the noise level through the provision of relevant indicators
• Detects and identifies construction site and urban noises emerging: 18 identified sound sources (cars, 2 wheels, horn, siren, jackhammers, circular saw)
• Locate the source of noise by indicating the direction of arrival

The detection and monitoring of noisy events

Better monitoring, apprehending and understanding noisy events in the city or in industry makes it possible to greatly improve the well-being of residents or employees of these nuisances.

Our solutions are thus able to detect particular noise events, either because they generate noise pollution for the environment, or because they are linked to a particular problem requiring a reaction.

Numerous noise sources can thus be supervised:

• Neighborhood noise in municipalities
• Noise from major transport infrastructures
• Noise from sporting and cultural events
• Exposure of workers to noise pollution
• Assessment of the impacts of creating or modifying infrastructure...

For example:

• Continuous monitoring of a car circuit with the generation of an automatic weekly report allowing continuous monitoring of noise pollution generated for local residents
• Evaluation of the impact of a change of asphalt on a busy road for local residents over 3 years

The qualification of the biodiversity of a protected area

Today, monitoring and understanding the evolution of biodiversity over the long term has become a major challenge for the preservation of species and for evaluating the impact of human activity.

Our solutions allow the observation of an ecosystem through the sounds it emits, and to deduce information on the species present and the state of this ecosystem.

In this context, we conducted, for our client Total, a study in order to propose methodologies for qualifying wildlife based on bioacoustic indicators. This partnership allowed us to:

• Define a list ofbioacoustic indicators exploitable for the qualification of wildlife
• Define and integrate detection algorithms of deviation to detect the evolution of these indicators over the long term

‍

‍