Today’s Solutions: March 28, 2024

If you live in an urban area, car horns, sirens, and jackhammers are just some of the daily noises that float into your home, but a new window-mounted device could create peacefully quiet city apartments. This solution was shared with us by an Optimist Daily reader and could finally bring some auditory relief to residents of big cities. 

The device, detailed in a Scientific Reports paper, uses a microphone to detect incoming noises and an array of 24 small speakers to cancel out the incoming sound waves. The researchers tested the device with simulated city noises, like airplane engines, and found that the device offered a 10dB reduction in the sound pressure level, meaning about half the noise level reached the indoors. 

So how does it work? The device uses “anti-noise” speakers to create sound waves with the opposite wave pattern to the incoming noise. Its use is effectively like putting noise-canceling headphones on your home. The design is not perfected yet. It is less effective in reducing low and high pitch sounds but is ideally suited for noises between 500 and 1,000 hertz, like traffic and trains. 

The team plans to begin testing the system in real-world applications soon and estimates it will be ready for large-scale production in the next five to ten years. In addition to filtering out the noise, the device allows residents to leave the windows open, reducing the need for air conditioning without the nuisance of direct city sounds. 

Although you won’t be able to buy one for yourself for a while, the new device is an innovative solution to reducing energy use and eliminating one of the biggest complaints about living in a big city.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Rowing against the current: Botswana’s women safari guides inspire and empower

In the calm of Botswana's Okavango Delta, where the morning sun creates a golden glow on the water's surface, an amazing metamorphosis is occurring. ...

Read More

The future of healing: 3D printing skin directly onto open wounds

Pennsylvania State University researchers achieved a major medical science breakthrough by being the first team ever to 3D print real human skin tissue directly ...

Read More

These solar-powered barges can scoop up 50 tons of plastic from rivers each day

While removing the plastic waste that currently contaminates the ocean today will be crucial for protecting marine ecosystems, it is arguably more important that ...

Read More

A bold step towards climate action and job creation: The American Climate Corps

The White House announced the creation of the American Climate Corps, a breakthrough program that will transform the climate action landscape. This ambitious project ...

Read More