Abstract
Noise pollution in urban environments is becoming increasingly common and it has potential to negatively impact people’s health and decrease overall productivity. In order to alleviate these effects, it is important to better quantify noise patterns and levels through data collection and analysis. Wireless sensor networks offer a method for achieving this with a higher level of granularity than traditional handheld devices. In this study, a wireless sensing unit (WSU) was developed that possesses the same functionality as a handheld sound level meter. The WSU is comprised of a microcontroller unit that enables on-board computations, a wireless transceiver that uses Zigbee protocol for data transmission, and an external peripheral board that houses the microphone transducer. The WSU utilizes on-board data processing techniques to monitor noise by computing equivalent continuous sound levels, LeqT, which effectively minimizes data transmission and increases the overall longevity of the node. Strategies are also employed to ensure real-time functionality is maintained on the sensing unit, with a focus on preventing bottlenecks between data acquisition, data processing, and wireless transmission. Four units were deployed in two weeks field validation test and were shown to be capable of monitoring noise for extended periods of time.
Highlights
According to the United Nations, 55% of the world’s population resides in urban settings, and it is projected that this percentage will continue to increase up to 68% by 2050 [1]
XBee are docked on the Teensy adapter board, whenever not in use, thereby reducing its power consumption to 3.5 μA. Both the Teensy and the this study focused on noisewhich monitoring, the microcontroller unit (MCU)
A network of wireless sensing unit (WSU) was deployed for long-term noise monitoring in Holland, Michigan, USA
Summary
According to the United Nations, 55% of the world’s population resides in urban settings, and it is projected that this percentage will continue to increase up to 68% by 2050 [1] This rapid and concentrated population growth creates many new challenges for urban planners and engineers as they seek to effectively manage resources while maintaining a high quality of living in these environments. To aid in this effort, the concept of smart cities, with an increased emphasis on urban monitoring and data gathering, has emerged in the last decade [2,3]. As the human ear has a broad range of intensities that it can perceive, SPL is measured in decibels and is represented on a logarithmic scale
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
