New York: The War on Noise

New York is noisy, very noisy. Hundreds of thousands of complaints go to the city every year. Now microphones are supposed to record the noise and identify the polluters.

New York: The War on Noise
Content
  • Page 1 — War on noise
  • Page 2 — noise is far more than annoying
  • Page 3 — Does system help?
  • Read on a page

    Every 74 seconds, an average of last one noise complaint was filed with city of New York. The complaint service of city has been logged, accessible online or under number 311. It is re that citizens are reporting on incorrectly parked cars in ir driveway or drug trafficking in ir neighborhood, but most of time y complain about noise.

    There's a lot of this in New York. The city is considered one of noisiest in world. So it is no wonder that in 2016 proud 423,906 noise complaints were made under 311, about twice as many as 2011. "Noise is still quality of life problem number one in New York City", SagteCosta Constantinides, a member of city Council, end of September In a meeting on subject of noise.

    Parties, loud music and noise are particularly disturbing

    Most complain about parties or loud music as well as construction noise outside allowed times. New York already has one of most advanced noise laws in United States. But only 62 StädtischeInspektoren take care of all complaints by measuring noise level on site. On average, it lasted five days after notification, it was said in meeting of city Council of September. Often Lärmquelledann has long disappeared. Some violations of noise law remain so unpunished.

    "The City of Istüberfordert," says Juan Pablo Bello of New York University, but this is no wonder, given limited resources. He wants to help. For this reason, Bello has been distributing microphones to city for a year in which noise is to be continuously recorded.

    DieNational Science Foundation gave researchers $4.6 million for five-year-old sound-of-new-York City Project (SONYC). Almost 50 of less than dollar expensive devices are already installed. The scientists assemble m on exterior walls of buildings, so far mainly Inmanhattan and Brooklyn. 100 should be at end of year, Idealerweisedann also in rest of city such as Queens and Bronx, says Bello's colleague Justin Salamon.

    The goal: A noise-live feed

    In order not to listen to private calls, sensors at height of second floor undnehmen never hang for more than ten seconds on track. The records are used to teach an artificial neural network to automatically detect ten sources of noise that New York citizens are particularly complaining about. Among m are music, pneumatic hammers, drill, dog barking, car horns or sirens howling. But even less frequent sounds such as playing children or pistol shots should learn to recognize system. More types of noise from sites or traffic should be baldhinzukommen, says Salamon. Once training is finished, SONYC system will only give a live-feed of noise level and type DerLärmquelle.

    The Klangerkennungfunktioniert already. If Salamon in his BrooklynerBüro einenElektrobohrer turns on and stops next to Micros, it takes four seconds. Then blue bar and word "drilling" appear on his laptop. The display of noise level also responds to loud clapping with only a few seconds of delay.

    Date Of Update: 13 November 2017, 12:03
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