Noise affects the quality of life

City residents are exposed to numerous, strongly fluctuating noise pollution caused by major and sporting events, construction measures or individual road users. In the StadtLärm project, a system was therefore developed with which noise-space models can be visualised and processed three-dimensionally in a novel application and measurement data can be assigned to a specific event.

Complete solution for novel noise monitoring – first field test in Jena

The system has been tested in the city of Jena in a field test since spring 2018. It can be used to record sound-related, anonymised sensor data over a large area and continuously. Noise-space models are processed in a novel application and visualised three-dimensionally in maps of the city of Jena and via diagrams. The measurement data can be assigned to a specific event, such as a registered concert in the city centre.

Municipal authorities can view not only noise levels but also noise events classified by the system according to their type in a web-based application and assess noise sources much better. For this purpose, temporally and spatially resolved noise data can be consulted both in real time and retrospectively over specific and longer periods of time. In addition, future noise situations can be predicted from past noise events.

The classification of sound events was developed by the project partner Fraunhofer IDMT. The data supplier for the application is a platform with noise sensors developed by Bischoff Elektronik GmbH and a central "data hub" in the form of a so-called MQTT broker. This forms the interface to algorithmic evaluations of the Fraunhofer IDMT and to the StadtLärm application, which was developed by the partner Software-Service John.

IMMS contribution – the data hub

IMMS developed the basic software platform for the noise sensors, including audio data acquisition, and integrated the audio data pre-processing of Fraunhofer IDMT. IMMS solved the communications via the broker and designed the communications architecture as a whole; i.e. defined the communications structures and messages, configured and maintained the broker and created a central administration component for the entire system. In addition, IMMS integrated variable environmental sensor technology to increase the platform's usefulness.

MDR Wissen extended the StadtLärm project to Central Germany

Together with the project partners, MDR Wissen explored different sources of noise in its broadcasting area and therefore called on people in Central Germany to report sources of noise to MDR Wissen.