Low-Cost Sensors for Urban Noise Monitoring Networks—A Literature Review

Abstract

Noise pollution reduction in the environment is a major challenge from a societal and health point of view. To implement strategies to improve sound environments, experts need information on existing noise. The first source of information is based on the elaboration of noise maps using software, but with limitations on the realism of the maps obtained, due to numerous calculation assumptions. The second is based on the use of measured data, in particular through professional measurement observatories, but in limited numbers for practical and financial reasons. More recently, numerous technical developments, such as the miniaturization of electronic components, the accessibility of low-cost computing processors and the improved performance of electric batteries, have opened up new prospects for the deployment of low-cost sensor networks for the assessment of sound environments. Over the past fifteen years, the literature has presented numerous experiments in this field, ranging from proof of concept to operational implementation. The purpose of this article is firstly to review the literature, and secondly, to identify the expected technical characteristics of the sensors to address the problem of noise pollution assessment. Lastly, the article will also put forward the challenges that are needed to respond to a massive deployment of low-cost noise sensors.

Application of a Prediction Model for Ambient Noise Levels and Acoustical Capacity for Living Rooms in Nursing Homes Hosting Older People with Dementia

“…[32], which is based on direct comparison of measurements with a Class 1 sound level meter, was performed, leading to an error of less than 0.2 dB on average. This is a well-accepted approach in literature, in order to check for the accuracy and reliability of acoustic sensor nodes [32][33][34][35].…”

WASN-Based Day–Night Characterization of Urban Anomalous Noise Events in Narrow and Wide Streets

“…In the literature, several audio databases related to the development of machine listening algorithms have been designed for bench-marking purposes, being mainly oriented to the training and the evaluation of acoustic event detection and classification algorithms. Picaut [ 22 ] details in their recent paper that the miniaturization of the sensor electronic components and the accessibility of low-cost computing processors together with the improved performance of batteries, have increased the application of low-cost WASNs, widening the possibility of implementing this kind of networks as they can be composed of a larger set of nodes to collect more information (both raw acoustic data and equivalent sound level measurements).…”

“…The combination of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm with the design and development of low-cost acoustic sensors has given rise to the so-called Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASNs) (the reader is referred to [ 21 ] for a review of the state-of-the-art of this topic). Recently, the WASN concept has been improved thanks to IoT-based advances, which have led to the miniaturization of the sensor electronics and the improvement of their lifetime [ 22 ], besides allowing the collection of representative acoustic data from the environment of interest. Several research projects have already deployed WASN-based dynamic noise monitoring systems.…”

Smart Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network Design for Noise Monitoring in Smart Cities

“…Picaut et al [ 1 ] proposed an extensive review of the literature around low cost sensors for urban noise monitoring. Furthermore, they also identified the expected technical characteristics of the sensors to address the problem of noise pollution assessment.…”