Audio Intelligence and Urban Sound Monitoring at the Edge 

Abstract:

In today's digital era, IoT devices equipped with advanced sensing and processing capabilities have become ubiquitous in our urban environment. These devices have the potential to revolutionize the way we monitor and understand our cities. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the urban landscape, it is essential to have intelligent sound sensors that can operate continuously and adapt to different environmental conditions.

The role of these "digital ears" is critical in complementing the "digital eyes" of CCTV cameras and providing valuable aural data. This data can inform the development of effective sound mitigation policies, as seen in many European countries. The use of sound sensors can help cities address various noise pollution issues and promote a more liveable and sustainable urban environment.

Thanks to the recent advancements in edge computing, artificial intelligence, and low-cost IoT processing units, it is now possible to incorporate advanced features such as environmental noise sensing, sound source localization and classification, and active noise control into these sound sensors. This has opened up new opportunities for addressing noise pollution and improving the urban soundscape.

In this presentation, I will showcase some of their recent IoT deployments [1-2] and demonstrate the crucial role that intelligent edge devices can play in monitoring the urban soundscape. The speaker will highlight the latest advancements and cutting-edge models in the field, as well as the current research trends in the area. By showcasing real-world examples and highlighting the benefits of IoT sound sensors, we hope to drive further innovation and development in this field.

[1] EL Tan, FA Karnapi L Ng, K Ooi, ~WS Gan, “Extracting Urban Sound Information for Residential Areas in Smart Cities Using an End-to-End IoT System,” IEEE Journal of Internet of Things, Vol 8, No 18, pp 14308-14321, Sept 2021, DOI:10.1109/JIOT.2021.3068755.

[2] T Wong, KN Watchaarasupat, B Lam, K Ooi, ZT Ong, F Karnapi, and, WS Gan, “Deployment of an IoT System for Adaptive In-Situ Soundscape Augmentation,” Internoise, 21-24 Aug 2022, Glasgow, UK.