Noise-reduction Easy provision of clear evidence, instant documentation, of noice reduction

Noise - an often underestimated pollutant. The risk for cardiac infarction is significantly elevated at continuous sound levels above 65 decibels. There are studies that allocate at least 2 percent of all cardiac infarct victims to traffic noise. At night, when cars and trams only penetrate the sub consciousness, consciousness, traffic noise can disturb human's health by affecting the sleep quality.

Therefore, the requirements defined by the legislator for the operation of technical devices are becoming more and more restrictive. This is true not only for wide-body jet planes and industrial installations, but also for simple drilling machines. In addition, lower noise level is a good sales argument.

When traditional technology is used to measure a wind turbine, for example, data from numerous measurement points must be acquired using microphones or vibration transducers, which is certainly not an easy task, taking into account the size of the object and the rotation of the blades. And even when this has been done, it remains questionable whether the sources that are found to be especially loud are responsible for the noise exposure in the neighbouring community.

When the true origins of noise exposure are not known exactly, it becomes harder or even impossible to correctly assign the responsibilities. In this case, the acoustic camera could prove with a single measurement and in a matter of minutes that the blade going down is the one that contributes most to the noise radiation. Last not least, documenting the success of measures against is far easier with the new technology. Two acoustic images, acquired before and after, can clearly show.

Sound analysis and sound design using the acoustic camera

Sounds do not necessarily have to be loud to cause discomfort. In many cases, there are quiet sources far subordinate to the main sound, that nevertheless seem to be psychoacoustically dominating.

Some of the most significant examples for this phenomenon exist in the automotive industry, where the acoustic camera has already been in use with great success. Rattling, hissing, or clicking noises are undesired in any vehicle. Even at high speed, the pianissimo parts of classic music should not be drowned by driving noise.

It is possible to monitor ignition, intake and exhaust sounds of individual cylinders. Noise paths become visible, active sound sources and passive reflections are isolated. Entirely new insights and perceptions about the development of sound and noise can arise. It is also possible to analyze sounds from moving objects.

The acoustic camera extends and enhances existing analysis methods.
The acoustic camera comprises traditional analysis methods as well, like A-weighting, one-third octave band analysis and narrow band analysis, filters, and many more. Based on these methods far more detailed research becomes possible. In a spectrogram, for example, sounds can be highlighted in the time and frequency ranges. The acoustic camera then shows the exact origin of this sound. The approach can also be made from the other end: After selection of a spot on the measured object, the sound originating from that spot can be reconstructed, visualized and broken down into its spectral components. It is also possible to replay the sound via speakers - any time after the measurement is completed.

Quality control and localization based on variations in sound emissions

The acoustic camera allows the identification of faults and defects.

Many of us have already experienced the following situation: The car engine is running, but something seems to be wrong. The soundscape is different. Even before any warning light on the dashboard comes up, an experienced driver can hear that something is wrong with the car. The same is true for many industrial applications: Numerous faults can be detected just from variations in the sound emission.

In quality control, experienced workers can often identify faulty products just from their abnormal sound.

The acoustic camera can find faults resulting in variations in the soundscape, without depending on the disposition of quality assurance (QA) staff. Two acoustic images can be placed side by side in the software to perform a simple comparison of nominal and actual values. The same value range is applied to both images with a click of a mouse button. Any variations become obvious, and the visual presentation also reveals where exactly the fault is located.

New solution approaches for noise reduction, sound optimization and fault visualization

The Acoustic Camera is an innovative device allowing to locate sound sources easily, to analyze them according to various criteria and to document them.

The large number of successful applications and the sales figures impressively underline the capability, reliability and precision of the new technology.

Here you can see the music playing only at the left rear speaker of a Mercedes B-Class. We explicitly thank the following companies for their trust and the successful cooperation during the development and launch of this product:

Video Examples
This section contains several videos to illustrate the capability as well as the simplicity of the Acoustic Camera system usage. Also you can see a video of a complete Acoustic Camera system set up from unpacking the cases to the first image.

Case Studies

Case Study: Room and Building Acoustics
Shows the Acoustic Camera in use to localize sound emissions in rooms and buildings

Past Projects
Prove the wide range of applications of the Acoustic Camera