Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a prototype device that reduces incoming noise by 10 decibels. This technology utilizes 24 small speakers within a window frame to emit sound waves that neutralize incoming noise.
The device's technology draws inspiration from noise-canceling headphones but expands the concept to an entire room. The motivation behind this research stemmed from the high level of noise pollution in Singapore, as highlighted by Dr. Lam, a researcher involved in the project.
The study's results were published in Scientific Reports. While the prototype requires further development for real-world applications, it presents a promising path toward creating noise reduction technology that could alleviate the problems of city noise.
Car alarms, jackhammers, a drunken argument and the rumble of the No. 7 train passing overhead. It is the glorious urban symphony that pours into a typical New York City apartment building day and night.
Sure, closing the window can help, but there goes your natural ventilation.
What if there were technology to cancel the offending clamor, like a pair of giant noise-canceling headphones for your apartment?
Researchers in Singapore have developed an apparatus that can be placed in a window to reduce incoming sound by 10 decibels. The system was created by a team of scientists, including Masaharu Nishimura, who came up with the basic concept, and Bhan Lam, a researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
“I grew up in Singapore,” Dr. Lam said in a Zoom interview from his apartment there. “It’s a small city with a lot of noise, so I have some motivation to solve this problem.”
Their results were published on Thursday in Scientific Reports. The prototype is not yet the most practical device in real world conditions, but it points the way toward the development of technologies that may help ease the strain of noisy city living.
Borrowing from the same technological principles used in noise-canceling headphones, the team expanded the concept to fit an entire room by placing 24 small speakers in a window. The speakers emit sound waves that correspond to the incoming racket and neutralize it — or, at least some of it.
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