"Acoustic camera" identifies noise sources

An "acoustic camera", which produces a digital image overlaid with a colour-coded noise map showing precisely where noise is being emitted, will make its Australian debut during National Manufacturing Week 2006, to be held at Sydney's Darling Harbour from May 30 to June 2.

The GFaI acoustic camera will be demonstrated at the show by HW Technologies.

It combines a group of microphones to record sound waves with a digital camera to calculate a noise map, then combines both the acoustic and optical images to produce a graphic and easily understood image showing accurately where the noise is coming from.

The acoustic camera is portable, able to be used both inside and externally, and gives a rapid and accurate analysis.

The base configuration consists of a microphone array, a data-recording device, a notebook computer and the software "NoiseImage".

The uses for the acoustic camera include troubleshooting sources of excessive noise emissions in manufacturing plants, R&D and product development, environmental noise testing and management, through to scientific research and even assistance with threatened species protection.

"A key advantage of the acoustic camera is that it allows noise sources to be identified rapidly and very precisely from the position of the listeners "“ which is very important "“ even at distances of several hundred metres," Hugo Waibel from HW TechnologyTechnologies, said.

"For example, instead of placing microphones in a machine or plant and tediously looking for noise sources, the object as a whole can be included with only a few measurements from the relevant listeners' perspectives."

Examples of uses for the acoustic camera include:

• Identifying where noises are coming from in engines and working machinery
• Highlighting areas of wind noise in new car design
• Locating small species of threatened frogs in the wild which could be heard but not easily found.

For further information, please visit HW Technologies