Factoring in Noise

Citizens’ acceptance of this technology will be essential to the successful deployment of urban air mobility globally. However, The Institute of Acoustics (IOA) published a briefing note in July 20225 highlighting that noise from drones has not yet been fully considered.
    A reduction in traffic in our cities, facilitated by solutions like drone delivery, would provide planners and developers with an opportunity to adapt and enhance our urban areas while also reducing vehicle emissions. However, drones also represent sources of noise, a challenge that manufacturers, urban planners, and pollution control experts have to manage.
    Studies show that long-term exposure to noise can cause a variety of health impacts including annoyance, sleep disturbance, negative effects on cardiovascular and metabolic systems, as well as cognitive impairment in children. In its 2021 ‘World Report on Hearing’, The World Health Organization indicates that there are currently 401 million people
in the South-East Asia region living with hearing loss. This costs the region USD 108 billion annually. By 2050, it estimates that 666 million people are projected to have problems with their hearing.6
    As we swap our tarmac for take offs, what consideration will manufacturers give to the issue of noise as they race to beat their competition to the marketplace? How much noise does an electrical vertical take-off and landing aircraft make, and where will it be able to fly?
    Drones represent a unique new community noise source that will operate and be perceived differently than traditional aircraft and ground transportation vehicles. In fact, the IOA highlight that: “Their rotating blades create a mixture of hums and whistles, that is arguably more annoying than noise from other modes of transport.”
The purpose might also contribute to people’s annoyance—for instance,
IOA highlights that a drone delivering takeaway food is less likely to be tolerated than a drone carrying medical supplies.
    This is a new and unfamiliar noise source to many people, which alone may make them particularly noticeable when introduced into a community on a larger scale. The flexibility of drones means that they will also be likely to be flying over some remoter communities that currently have very limited or no exposure to commercial aircraft noise. The IA would like to see four aspects considered:

• The extent of the potential adverse noise impact from drones determined. For example, how much noise do they generate, how often will they fly and at what time and day of the week,
  and how will this combine with other noise sources that already exist in the area?
• Control of noise at source by setting maximum sound levels
• Controlling the number of flights
• Control of drone flightpaths including for privacy and security and to manage the potential impact on wildlife.