Area-based environmental noise measurements using wireless sensor network
Regular paper
University of Jyväskylä / Kokkola
Wednesday 3 june, 2015, 14:20 - 14:40
0.8 Rome (118)
Abstract:
Global concern about environmental issues has risen dramatically in recent
years. Exposure to environmental noise has a significant impact on human
health and well-being. excess exposure results in an increase in the risk of
permanent hearing damage, but recent studies have also demonstrated that
noise also causes ischemic heart disease, hypertension and stress.
Traditionally, environmental noise assessment is based on temporary
measurements and noise mapping. The disadvantages of this method are
obvious: 1) commercial sound meters are expensive, making large scale
measurement very costly, 2) point-by-point measurement makes the result
incoherent in time, 3) due to the lack of communication facility, the
measured result is not available in real-time, and 4) the sound meter has to
be fully attended, which increases the work load.
Noise maps are generated using modeling software that uses different initial
data values, such as traffic, noise sources, terrains, and buildings to
estimate sound variations. Noise maps usually present yearly averages, which
do not provide a realistic picture of variations in time. Short-term events
are impossible to distinguish from noise maps when the noise may have
exceeded the limitations. To be able to notice the short-term changes, the
real-time observation of the noise measurements have a great importance.
In this paper, we present wireless noise sensor network for the new area-
based noise monitoring. The network enables synchronized measurements in
several locations in real-time. In this area-based noise monitoring, the
network calculates one equivalent noise value for the monitored area. The
measurement method’s feasibility and reliability is evaluated in a real
measuring pilot that consists of 12 noise sensors. The experience gained
from the utilization and deployment of the network is discussed together
with network performance analysis.