TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY

Active noise control (ANC) quiets offensive sound by using cancellation techniques, or anti-sound. With the exception of headphones, helmets and some luxury automobiles, few people have experienced its benefits. We have developed integrated ANC solutions for complex noise problems and designed cost-effective, practical ANC systems for cockpits and car cabins.

Primary Application Area: Manufacturing, Instrumentation

Technology Development Status: Concept

FIGURES OF MERIT

Value Proposition: Whilst progress has been made towards producing quieter airplanes and automobiles, pilots are still exposed to noise levels that can have lasting health consequences and cause communication interference, plus unwanted engine and road noise can increase driver drowsiness and interfere with in-cabin conversations. Pilots primarily wear ANC headsets to protect their hearing, but this solution is inconvenient and impractical (impedes conversations between co-pilots). Automobile companies typically incorporate layers of heavy soundproofing material to reduce unwanted noise, but this results in a weight and size increase unsuitable for most compact and subcompact cars. Installation of our ANC system would eliminate the need for cockpit headsets, reduce engine and road noise without car weight/size increase, and in both cases would improve communication capacity and personal comfort. Our system is controlled by custom DSP ANC software which can be tailored to specific applications and noise environments. Our system is commercially feasible due to its simple and compact design; our microphones are flat (and easily installed on any surface) and our cockpit system operates with one control unit, 4-6 speakers and a similar number of microphones. In contrast, the cockpit ANC system created by Ultra-Electronics uses one control unit, 23 speakers and 28 microphones.

SHOWCASE SUMMARY

Organization Type: Academic/Gov Lab

Showcase Booth #: 523

Website: http://www.anu.edu.au/

GOVT/EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES