Proceedings of the 11th Convention of the
European Acoustics Association
Forum Acusticum / EuroNoise 2025


Málaga, Spain
June 23 - 26, 2025





Session: A09.01 Machine learning and artificial intelligence in acoustics - General
Date: Tuesday 24 June 2025
Time: 10:40
Title: Comparison of Deep Learning and Psychoacoustic Models to Predict UAV Noise Impact in Soundscapes
Author(s): Max W. Ellis
Marc C. Green
Michael J. B. Lotinga
Antonio Torija Martinez
Pages: 2121-2127
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.61782/fa.2025.0235
PDF: https://dael.euracoustics.org/confs/fa2025/data/articles/000235.pdf
Conference proceedings
Abstract

The increasing prevalence of Unmanned Aircraft Systemsin urban environments necessitates a deeper understanding of their impact on the experience of urban soundscapes. This study presents Machine Learning models aimed at predicting perceived annoyance of UAS noise. Deep learning models were generated using convolutional recurrent neural networks, trained on a dataset incorporating data from multiple listening experiment. The model predictions are compared with various existing nonlinear models for Psychoacoustic Annoyance. Our expanded dataset includes recent field studies across England and Greece, enhancing the robustness and generalisability of our models. The broader aim of this research is development of a comprehensive soundscape model for UAS noise, which could be incorporated into future ’next generation’ smart sound level meters and be used to inform urban planning decisions.