An interdisciplinary network of engineers, policymakers, industry stakeholders and social scientists, led by the University of Surrey, has received a £1.8million grant to take on one of the UK’s most overlooked environmental challenges: noise pollution.
From the constant hum of road traffic to the thousands of flights in and out of UK airports, noise awareness in our modern world often fades into the background – but it carries significant consequences for both human health and wildlife. Noise Network Plus will focus on promoting conscious design processes to create quieter products, buildings and transportation systems – with the aim of reducing noise pollution and building a healthier environment over the next ten to 15 years.
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‘Noise is a frequently neglected pollutant, but it has a big impact on health, society and the environment,’ said Professor Mark Plumbley, professor of signal processing and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) fellow in AI for sound. ‘For example, road noise can lead to sleep disturbance and heart disease, costing £7billion to £10billion each year in England alone. Once noise is out there, it is really hard to remove. We need to re-think how we design noise from the start.’
Awarded more than £1.8 million in funding, Noise Network Plus is one of six research projects to receive a share of £10million from the EPSRC. Together they form part of its wider community-engagement initiative to address Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges (TERC), launched on 11 February, which focuses on tackling the most pressing issues facing the engineering sector.
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‘We’re at a pivotal moment in time where our environment is under threat, but we have the technology and expertise to make meaningful changes,’ said professor Abigail Bristow, professor of civil and environmental engineering. ‘Our mission-oriented research and innovation network will look to adopt a systems-thinking approach, addressing the root causes of noise and understanding its far-reaching impacts.’
A collaboration between the University of Surrey, City St George’s University of London, the University of Bath and the University of Salford, Noise Network Plus aims to build unprecedented research capabilities to tackle the complex challenge of reducing noise and its impacts on people, the environment and the economy. Bringing together diverse teams and stakeholders, the initiative will promote inclusive dialogue and co-design innovative solutions.
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Alan Hunter, professor in autonomous systems based in the University of Bath’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, will lead the network’s efforts on underwater noise and artificial intelligence. This will include research into the effects of noise created by human activities at sea and improving the resilience of uncrewed underwater vehicles to noise.
‘The ocean is a noisy place, and a lot of the tools and technologies we rely on to deliver services either increase noise levels or are affected by noise,’ he said. ‘Taking oceanographic measurements, measuring marine wildlife populations, or inspecting underwater infrastructure, are all examples of activities affected by noise and of which we need to build a better understanding.’
Professor Antonio Torija Martinez and Simone Graetzer are co-leads on the project at the University of Salford’s Acoustic Research Centre. ‘As the UK moves toward net zero, the adoption of sustainable energy and emerging technologies – such as wind turbines and drones – will introduce new sources of noise, fundamentally reshaping our soundscapes,’ said Martinez. ‘This offers us a unique opportunity for a fresh start and through our initiative, we aim to transform the way noise is managed, embedding innovative solutions into engineering design and policy.’
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The launch of Noise Network Plus will take place on 18 March at Prince Philip House, the home of the Royal Academy of Engineering, in London. The event will bring together a cross-section of people from engineering and other disciplines, including researchers, industry, professional institutions, policymakers, charities and other stakeholders, to identify the challenges that need to be addressed, and plan how the network can work to address these challenges.