How annoying are drones? A laboratory study with different drone sizes, maneuvers, and speeds

Drones are a relatively novel noise source in the modern sonic environment. Yet, research on short-term noise annoyance is still sparse. In this contribution, a laboratory listening experiment is presented, which investigated the association of quadcopter size (smaller, larger), maneuver and flight speed on noise annoyance. The experiment revealed that (1) the smaller drone was perceived as more annoying than the larger drone; (2) takeoff and landing maneuvers were more annoying than flybys, and (3) a "loitering effect" was observed, with slow flybys eliciting higher annoyance ratings, especially for high-altitude operations. The findings from this study foretell the potentially unique challenges posed by drone noise to our communities, suggesting the necessity for distinctive assessment in terms of noise regulation.