An investigation on the effects of drone noise in an urban context

In recent years, research on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has attracted the attention of several scholars due to their potential impacts on the population. While some progress has been made in defining regulatory frameworks for UAS mobility, the knowledge of the effect of noise on people is still limited. The expected development of new applications for these vehicles, i.e. in logistics, transport, and environmental monitoring sectors, makes it increasingly important to understand, in depth, the characteristics of UAV noise at receivers and their potential effects on noise annoyance.

This study focuses on the noise impact of two different types of drones in an urban context. In-situ noise measurements were carried out using different scenarios and recording setups. The first scenario includes fly-over manoeuvres for fly paths at various heights above ground and distances from a building facade. The second consists of landing and take-off drone operations. Binaural and mono audio recordings were performed on defined listening positions at ground and façade levels. Audio recordings were analyzed in terms of acoustics and psychoacoustics indicators. Results were compared among the test measurement conditions and using psychoacoustic annoyance models.