In a bid to tackle noise pollution, a serious yet often overlooked urban issue, Nick Ferenchak, an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico, has introduced a clever solution.
Ferenchak has developed "NoiseTracker," a noise camera system designed to catch vehicles that exceed permissible sound levels, helping cities manage noise pollution more effectively, UNM's Alexa Skonieski reports.
UNM professor Nick Ferenchak develops NoiseTracker, a noise camera system to detect and cite excessively noisy vehicles, addressing urban noise pollution and potential health hazards.Image via Not-A-Loud
Noise Camera System Developed to Combat Urban Noise Pollution
Ferenchak's motivation stemmed from his annoyance with the issue. "We love hiking in the Sandia Mountains, and when you're out there, you can't see the city at all; it's so beautiful, but then you can still hear the road noise," he shared.
Drawing inspiration from speed cameras, Ferenchak questioned, "If we can catch vehicles speeding, why can't we catch vehicles that are making noise?" This led to the patent application in late 2019 and years of refinement to perfect the technology. Now, NoiseTracker is ready to make an impact.
NoiseTracker's patented system combines a sound level meter, cameras, and a microphone array to pinpoint and document noisy vehicles. The system is robust, weatherproof, and secure, requiring no operator or external power source, thus ensuring continuous operation without interference.
NoiseTracker operates by using the sound level meter to detect when a vehicle exceeds a set decibel threshold. Once triggered, the system captures the vehicle's license plate and, if the city chooses, can automatically issue a citation.
"It's an important issue; there's lots of literature out there connecting noise pollution, specifically road noise pollution, to health issues," Ferenchak explained.
Noise pollution is not just an inconvenience; it is a serious health hazard. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noise pollution adversely affects the lives of millions of people, leading to issues like stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, and hearing loss.
Approximately 10 million people in the US suffer from permanent hearing loss due to excessive environmental noise.
Additionally, Ferenchak's research in Albuquerque connects road noise to vehicle speeds and crash rates. "If we can crack down on that road noise, I think we can also crack down on traffic safety issues," he noted. By reducing noise pollution, NoiseTracker could potentially enhance road safety as well.
Several cities across the US, including New York City, have run pilot programs exploring different versions of noise camera technology. Ferenchak's company has been actively testing in New Mexico, with positive feedback.
Ferenchak stated that the technology has been available for four or five years, and pilot programs have been running in New Mexico, specifically Albuquerque and Santa Fe, for over a year.
Preliminary data from these programs indicates positive outcomes, primarily identifying modified sports cars as significant contributors to the issue.
