Noise Meter

Noise pollution is a significant source of physiological stress, comparable to second-hand smoke and just below air pollution. This study conducted a quantitative analysis of noise exposure in various neighborhoods to understand its impact on psychological stress and property decisions. Based on the findings, an app was developed to visualize noise reports in Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire, England, from January 1st to June 30th, focusing on unwanted noise like loud music, barking, and shouting. The app helps potential homebuyers make informed decisions by providing data on neighborhood noise levels.

Keywords:

Noise, Sound Pollution, Decible, Hypertension, Urban-Planning, Noise -Induced Hearing Loss, Community, Residential Areas, Exposure, Hearing Impairment, Real Estate, Decision Making

Noice Meter

Noise pollution monitoring application

Introduction

The bustling sound of the big city life makes people suffer from multiple health problems. All living beings in nature as well face problems due to noise pollution. People face impaired hearing, high blood pressure, tension, and strain. The hearing damage that is caused is not reparable.

The National Geographic article says, "Millions of people are affected every day because of noise pollution resulting in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Prolonged contact with loud noise can be the cause of health conditions such as high blood pressure, disturbed sleep, heart trouble, tension, and stress. All age groups are affected due to these health issues, especially children. Also, many children who live near noisy airports or streets have been found to suffer from anxiety and other issues, such as impairments in memory, attention level, and reading skills."

As per WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region in 2018, five data items need to be referred to:

Solid confirmation of cardiovascular and metabolic effects of environmental noise;
Including of latest noise sources, namely wind turbine noise and leisure noise, along with noise from transportation (aircraft, road traffic, and rail).
Using a standardized approach to assess the evidence.
The systematic reviews of proofs define the relationship between noise exposure and risk of health outcome
Using long-term average noise exposure indicators to better predict adverse health outcomes, compared to short-term noise exposure measures.

The Problem

Since the industrial revolution, the development and use of varied technology and equipment have provided wealth and advancement to humanity and society. At the same time, a growing amount of intense sound is created. It generates annoyance in communities when it harms people and the environment. Noise is defined broadly as any sound that interferes with our leisure and work, and our hearing. Clamorous ambient noise would irritate human focus, affecting efficiency and quality of work time and relaxation.

More importantly, noise impacts human health in many ways other than hearing, and it can have long-term health repercussions.

According to Mathias Basner, a noise and sleep researcher, noise is defined as an unwanted sound that comprises a physical component and a psychological aspect that leads to an undesirable consequence. The level of noise hazard, in particular, is determined primarily by the type of sound and the exposure period.

The Problem Statement

Beneath the layer of the sonic landscape of life, lies the omnipresent din: Noise. There are too many noise complaints in the UK, such as automobile honking, children playing, children crying, loud music, loud door slamming, and so on. This information will be used to assist those who are considering buying a home in making an informed decision.

The Vision Statement

The application visitors will be helped with making noise-related information accessible. The application's goal is to not only get the attention of the potential users, but also to create an awareness to be safe, healthy, and socially responsible.

Design Methodology

User-Centered Design approach unfolded through the following stages during this engagement. This approach was suitable as it helped to build the application based on identifiable User needs

User Flow

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Next Steps

In the plan for the next steps, after previous research, we currently only display the amount of noise in the data. Still, there are a lot of ideas that have come up with answers at the wireframe stage, such as the postcode in the data adding the amount of noise to each category, and the display on the map. This can help users to choose the place of residence according to the noise of each area.

Since our topic is noise, we also plan to add the next step in the plan in terms of interaction. When users click on each noise category, they can add actual noise files to increase users and data-the fun of interaction. For example, allow users to choose the residences and use the noise in the event to help users choose places.

Conducted a quantitative analysis to understand how users consider the relationship between noise pollution and psychological stress while purchasing or renting a property. The data provided helped with the identification of the nature of the issue.

Understanding context of use

Personas were created based on the user behavior and the data observed. Understanding the frustrations of noise pollution in everyday life helped in developing empathy. The empathy helped to draw specific requirements based on the responses received from the survey.

Specify user requirements

User requirements provided a direction to make rough concepts and refined them further to create a solution from a user perspective. Competitor Analysis provided insights regarding the features and functionalities and the gaps in current user requirements and solutions.Talking to people was very useful to know if the application will gain usage.