Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) are becoming more common on our streets due to the rise in quiet-running electric vehicles. But how is the UN ECE Regulation 138 framework suitable for the design and application of public and shared transport vehicles, that have a public duty to be inclusive, acceptable and to positively contribute to the urban soundscape?
Anderson Acoustics will share their innovative and collaborative approach to delivering two landmark AVAS systems, the Urban Bus Sound for Transport for London, and the TIER E-Scooter AVAS, a shared service micro-mobility company.
The presentation will cover how a soundscape approach was applied early in the project conception, driving inclusive acoustic considerations and quality to be at the forefront of the designs, informing the assessment and future roll-out approaches of these two organisations.
About the Speaker
Grant Waters is the CEO and Founder of Tranquil City and Principal Consultant at Anderson Acoustics. He has built up an extensive portfolio of projects that use soundscape principles for public good, expanding the profile of sound and acoustics into the sustainable urban development and green cities agenda.
As electric cars become ever more prominent in our society it is natural to ask how this might affect our sound environment. This presentation presents the findings of research carried out in this area, including the measurement of the sound emitted by electric cars and the challenges involved as well as the perception of such sound. We also consider the topic of added sound for electric vehicles before discussing how the sound from electric vehicles may be modelled and future developments in the area in terms of vehicle technology.
About the Speaker
Matt has over twenty years’ experience in environmental acoustics research and consultancy and has authored a number of publications helping to inform the UK’s position on a variety of transportation noise issues. His current role at AECOM sees him leading a range of projects on road traffic noise and environmental sound. He sits on the BSI committee for transportation noise, is a member two ISO working groups and chairs the IOA STEM committee.
Project CAELUS is aiming to operate a pilot-scale trial of the UK’s first drone network for medical distribution, operated by NHS Scotland. A primary goal of this project is to enhance healthcare equity by enabling efficient low-carbon transportation of medical supplies, with a particular focus on remote communities. However, the human response to sound from emerging aviation technologies such as drones remains uncertain, which poses risks to widespread adoption of the technology and the many beneficial applications it would enable. Gaining an understanding of the impact of drone sound on health and wellbeing, as well as effective strategies for mitigating their effects, is essential if they are to provide a societal benefit.
This talk outlines the development of an online listening experiment designed to explore people's perception of the sound of drones in the context of medical delivery. We will discuss the development of a flexible method to create auralisations of drone flyovers and take-offs, and how these auralisation have been used as the basis of the listening experiment. We will also discuss the challenges associated with delivering sound demonstrations online and share our plans for the release of the experiment to the public.
About the Speaker
Dr James Woodcock is a senior consultant at Arup specialising in aviation noise and the human response to sound and vibration. He holds a PhD in the human response to railway noise and vibration and, prior to joining Arup, worked as a post-doctoral research fellow investigating the perception of spatial audio. His wide range of experience in acoustics includes the design / implementation / analysis of perceptual tests, developing auralisation methods for fixed wing and novel aircraft, and assessment of environmental noise and vibration for large infrastructure projects.