[PD] Future of Motorsounds in Electric Cars and Games

[Andy Farnell]

This last paragraph inviting a minimum noise standard 
is reasonable.

> On Wednesday, the president of the NFB's Maryland chapter planned to 
> present written testimony asking for a minimum sound standard for 
> hybrids to be included in the state's ..

And along with that a maximum noise standard, why not?

With some proper psycho-acoustic, perceptual and
physics research to determine suitable warnings for 
given speeds then sound signature related to speed would 
make sense.

A functional rather than aestheic approach would stop
the streets being turned into a jumble of
confusing, competeing noises and actually help blind
_and_ sighted people make judgements.




On Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:01:53 -0400
ede cameron <ecameron at videotron.ca> wrote:

> From my understanding having quiet cars (electric) make noise (our some sound similar to a gas driven car) is due 
> to pressure primarily from the blind who rely on the sound cars make to navigate in urban environments. 
> 
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21112810/
> 
> ede
> On 2010-07-10, at 7:43 AM, Andy Farnell wrote:
> 
> > 
> > The translation was so bad you might even get completely 
> > reversed scores for some of these questions.
> > 
> > An interesting topic though.
> > 
> > I've discussed this with two groups of undergrad and
> > masters students recently.
> > 
> > It is likely that legislation will quickly be
> > needed to deal with customised car sounds, because
> > human nature won't permit some people to have
> > ordinary, quiet, functional ones. It will
> > quickly become a race to have the most disturbing
> > sound once there is a market for this technology.
> > 
> > As an environmental issue, noise pollution is the 
> > boisterous elephant in the street. 
> > Nobody wants to tackle it. Because sound is a 
> > secondary faculty it gets pushed under the carpet
> > in discussions. For example new London buses with
> > gas turbo engines cut CO2, but they also reduce the
> > quality of life by keeping people awake at night with
> > their much louder screaming engines.
> > 
> > Helath and safety measures have increased the power
> > output (and perceived loudness by adding more noise
> > and inharmonics) of sirens, so now the vehicles can
> > speed even faster. While they may get there 20 seconds
> > earlier and save a life, 10,000 other people along the
> > route have their peace and concentration shattered.
> > Cumulatively the adverse health issues (hearing damage,
> > stress, sleeplessness) plus the loss of productivity
> > may outweigh any benefits of louder sirens.
> > Yes this is Schopenhauer for the 21st Century, but
> > nothing has changed. You can pump 120 dB of doofcar
> > noise into the street and nobody looks twice, but
> > if you started pumping poisonous gas into the street
> > you'll be thrown in jail. Only one kind of pollution
> > is trendy to decry. 
> > 
> > Meanwhile, car manufacturers build ever quieter 
> > interiors that are impervious to external noise.
> > So there is a 'war' going on. Drivers want to be
> > cocooned in a private world, while inflicting their
> > 'personality' on the outside. This is a pathological
> > stance.
> > 
> > New technologies might be optical, or radio, that
> > allow emergency vehicles to signal ahead to roadside 
> > beacons or dasboard indicators in cars. Satnavs could be 
> > modified to prominently indicate nearby emergency
> > vehicles. 
> > 
> > Directional demodulation sound could be employed for 
> > sirens as only those in front of the vehicle need to
> > hear it is coming.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Thu, 8 Jul 2010 22:35:34 +0200
> > András Murányi <muranyia at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> >> On Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 9:17 PM, hghoyer <mail at hghoyer.de> wrote:
> >> 
> >>> Hi,
> >>> 
> >>> I would be glad if you participate in my brief survey.
> >>> It is about sounds in computer games and electric cars ...
> >>> http://research.hghoyer.de/index.php?sid=71581&lang=en
> >>> 
> >>> Sorry, my question has to do only indirectly related to PD.
> >>> I am happy you are interested, include evaluation of the survey!
> >>> 
> >>> Thanks Hans
> >>> 
> >> 
> >> Interesting stuff. Please let me just drop my 2 cents in:
> >> (SPOILER ALERT!)
> >> - Some of the (english language) questions were really hard for to
> >> understand (maybe because i'm not native english either)
> >> - Lot of talk about sound with no sounds! I would have been happy to listen
> >> to different sounds and express my preferences, but deciding on _loose
> >> descriptions_ of sounds is much harder for me.
> >> 
> >> Andras
> > 
> > 
> > -- 
> > Andy Farnell <padawan12 at obiwannabe.co.uk>
> > 
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> 
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-- 
Andy Farnell <padawan12 at obiwannabe.co.uk>