Filtering Unwanted Sounds from Baby Monitors

Ideal baby monitors alert parents to infant cries, not irrelevant background noise

Media Contact:
Larry Frum
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

SEATTLE, December 2, 2021 – New parents often keep a constant ear on their children, listening for any signs of distress as their baby sleeps. Baby monitors make that possible, but they can also inundate parents with annoying background audio.

In his presentation, “Open-Source Baby Monitor,” TJ Flynn, of Johns Hopkins University, will discuss his team’s effort to develop and test a smart baby monitor. The talk, on Dec. 2 at 1:25 p.m. Eastern U.S. in Room Columbia C, is part of the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, taking place Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Seattle.

Flynn, Shane Lani, and their team aim to create an ideal baby monitor that alerts parents when their baby needs attention but does not transmit or amplify sound from other sources. The project uses open source audio processing hardware, originally intended for hearing aids, to filter out unwanted noises. These extra sounds might lead parents to turn down their baby monitor volume and potentially miss infant cries.

“Three of the study authors, including myself, are parents to new babies,” said Lani, a researcher from Johns Hopkins University. “While not directly applicable to every home, my house is situated next to a large state road and in the flight path for landing planes depending on the wind conditions. Due to these factors, loud motorcycles tearing down the highway and low flying planes have historically been a big culprit in setting off the monitor.”

The researchers found baby cries have a fundamental frequency in the range of 400 to 600 hertz, with plenty of harmonics that extend up to 10 kilohertz. They plan to keep the whole frequency range in mind as they explore signal processing options.

Their device is of comparable size to commercial baby monitors, and they are currently testing its performance.

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
USEFUL LINKS
Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/
Technical program: https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL21
Press Room: https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLDWIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Worldwide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300 to 500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, staff at media@aip.org can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

Sounding Off on Seattle Space Needle Renovation

Acoustic designers consulted to prevent noisy viewing deck, mechanics

Media Contact:
Larry Frum
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

SEATTLE, December 2, 2021 – The Seattle Space Needle, a city landmark for nearly 60 years, recently underwent a renovation to enhance the visitor experience. Acoustic designers were tasked with ensuring that the new design is a quiet one.

During the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, Daniel Bruck and Jaimie Penzell, from BRC Acoustics, will discuss how the Seattle Space Needle renovation incorporated acoustic designs targeted toward limiting unnecessary sound transmission. The talk, “The Seattle Space Needle renovation: Acoustical design considerations and challenges at 600 feet above ground level,” will take place Thursday, Dec. 2, at 12:55 p.m. Eastern U.S.

The Seattle Space Needle is one of the most recognizable landmarks in North America, having had 60 million visitors since it opened in 1962. In late 2017, a renovation project titled “The Century Project” began, developing the tower’s internal structure, while expanding and improving its views.

Bruck and his team developed the acoustical design criteria for the renovation project, enhancing future visitor experience.

The needle revamp has an improved observation deck with 360 degrees of uninterrupted views of Seattle and the surrounding area, as well as The Loupe – the world’s first and only rotating glass floor restaurant.

“Acoustical materials were selected to complement the architectural concept for the spaces and provide effective reverberant sound control,” said Bruck. “Particular areas for design were the observation levels, which was noisy during high visitor periods, and the restaurant. Sound isolation between the two was also an important component.”

Mechanical system noise control was an essential consideration, as the newly installed revolving floor mechanism requires 12 motors to operate 37 tons of weight.

“The original building from 1962 was not designed for modern equipment, and there was absolutely no room to expand the footprint of the mechanical rooms,” said Bruck. “The machinery and system were completely redesigned to provide an innovative approach to moving the rotating floor reliably into the future.”

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
USEFUL LINKS
Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/
Technical program: https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL21
Press Room: https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLDWIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Worldwide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300 to 500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, staff at media@aip.org can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

Food Paradox Answer Shows How Ocean Life Survives

Acoustic tools reveal hotspots of ocean life in scattered places

Media Contact:
Larry Frum
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

SEATTLE, December 1, 2021 – Ocean predators cannot survive on average concentrations of food found in the water. Instead, they survive by exploiting small patches of food-rich areas peppered throughout the world’s waterways.

During the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, Kelly Benoit-Bird, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, will discuss how sonar or active acoustics can be used to interpret and indicate biological hotspots of ocean life. The talk, “A Sound Resolution to the Food Paradox in the Sea,” will take place Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 4:05 p.m. Eastern U.S.

Using active acoustics, where a sound pulse is created and resulting echoes are interpreted, the researchers found the ocean is widely populated with narrow hotspots of activity. Traditionally, these hotspots are missed with conventional sampling tools, but locating them can provide dynamic layered maps of ocean life.

“We’re using systems much like those used to find the depth of the ocean, but instead of interpreting echoes from the seafloor, we’re using more sensitive systems that allow us to map layers of life in the water,” said Benoit-Bird. “What we’ve found is that animals of all different sizes, from millimeter long plankton to large predators, are unevenly distributed, and this variation is really important to how life in the ocean functions.”

The findings signify ocean food and biota as patchy, varying with depth and location, suggesting animals must find and exploit small scale aggregations of resources.

The Lasker food paradox proposed in the 1970s found laboratory animals fed the average concentration of ocean food did not survive, but ocean-dwelling animals in the wild did. The paradox is reconciled by Benoit-Bird’s findings, demonstrating animals do not survive on average food concentrations but are well-adapted to locating and capitalizing on patches of resources, and reducing their total energy expenditure to hunt.
“For example, if a bucket’s worth of popcorn was spread out evenly throughout the volume of a room, and you had to fly around to capture each kernel, you would spend a lot of energy searching and it would be hard to get enough to be full,” Benoit-Bird said. “If instead, the popcorn was all grouped together, the popcorn would be a much more satisfying snack. The amount of popcorn is the same but changing how it is grouped determines whether you end up with a full belly.

“Acoustic tools provide the high spatial resolution and long duration sampling to explore the processes that drive organismal interactions in the ocean. We must understand not only how many animals are in the ocean, but how they are distributed, if we are to effectively manage our living marine resources.”

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
USEFUL LINKS
Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/
Technical program: https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL21
Press Room: https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLDWIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Worldwide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300 to 500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, staff at media@aip.org can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

Sing On: Certain Facemasks Don’t Hinder Vocalists

Masks designed for singers prevent COVID-19 transmission, most voice distortion

Media Contact:
Larry Frum
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

SEATTLE, December 1, 2021 – When singers generate beautiful notes, they can also release harmful particles like the coronavirus. Wearing a mask prevents virus transmission, but it also affects the sound.

Thomas Moore, from Rollins College, will discuss his observations of a professional soprano singing with and without six types of masks at the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held Nov. 29 to Dec. 3. The session, “Aerosol propagation and acoustic effects while singing with a face mask,” will take place on Dec. 1 at 12:40 p.m. Eastern U.S. in Room 302 of the Hyatt Regency Seattle as part of a session on making music during a pandemic.

Moore found masks effectively block aerosols, forcing the breath to exit at the sides. From there, the aerosols travel upwards, rising with the upward flow of body heat from the singer. The dispersal of breath likely dilutes the virus and prevents the spread of COVID-19.

At low frequencies, masks reduced volume but did not have other effects on the singing. However, masks did reduce the power of higher frequencies, which made the enunciation of words less clear and altered the timbre. Masks had no effect on the pitch.

One of the masks tested, a singer’s mask, was designed specifically with singers in mind. All six masks blocked the forward flow of breath, but the singer’s mask did so with the least change in sound.

“A normal cloth mask can reduce the high frequencies by as much as 10 times, but a singer’s mask will reduce them by a factor of less than 2,” said Moore.

Diluting virus-causing aerosols is key to reducing infection and the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Although Moore found the breath still escaped the sides of the masks, its rise into the air and subsequent dispersal lowers the risk compared to singing without a mask. He said this emphasizes how good air flow in a room is critical for preventing viral risk.

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
USEFUL LINKS
Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/
Technical program: https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL21
Press Room: https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLDWIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Worldwide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300 to 500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, staff at media@aip.org can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

During COVID-19 Lockdown, Emotional Wellbeing Declined for Adults with Vision, Hearing Loss

Older individuals with sensory impairment suffered from lack of social interactions during pandemic

Media Contact:
Larry Frum
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

SEATTLE, Dec. 1, 2021 – During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many assisted living and senior center facilities were forced to close their doors to outside visitors to limit potential exposure to the virus. While it was a step to keep the older residents physically healthy, those with sensory impairment found the isolation created mental and emotional issues.

Peggy Nelson, of the University of Minnesota, will outline the impacts in her presentation, “COVID-19 effects on social isolation for older persons with sensory loss,” at the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3. The session will take place on Dec. 1 at 6:05 p.m. Eastern U.S. in the Quinault Room of the Hyatt Regency Seattle.

Nelson and her team surveyed groups of older adults from the Twin Cities community with vision loss, hearing loss, and without either condition. They asked the participants about their worries, wellbeing, and social isolation at 6 week intervals from April 2020 to July 2021. The period corresponded to strict lockdowns in Minnesota, with some restrictions easing towards the end of the study.

All three groups of adults scored lower on a patient health questionnaire after the pandemic began. Additionally, people with vision and hearing loss faced unique problems.

“People with low vision were really hit hard,” said Nelson. “Their whole mobility systems are built around public transportation and being around other people.”

Masks made conversations especially difficult for adults with hearing loss, leading them to prefer virtual options for health care visits, among other scenarios. However, the overall quieter environment during stay-at-home orders may have compensated for some of the negative effects.

While Nelson said the changes brought by the pandemic often led to a loss of independence for impaired adults, some solutions may be within reach.

“We’ll hopefully find a new hybrid world,” she said. “People with low vision can be close to other people as needed, and people with hearing loss can have remote access to clear communication when masks would prevent that.”

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
USEFUL LINKS
Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/
Technical program: https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL21
Press Room: https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLDWIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Worldwide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300 to 500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, staff at media@aip.org can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

Build Your Own Office Podcast Studio

How to convert existing office spaces into professional-sounding recording studios

Media Contact:
Larry Frum
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

SEATTLE, November 30, 2021 — Converting newly emptied office spaces into podcast studios poses noise challenges not previously realized before hybrid offices began. Experts recommend considering location, nearby noise sources, and ways to absorb sound to make a studio effective.

During the 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held Nov. 29-Dec. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Seattle, Indi Savitala, from the CSDA Design Group, will discuss how to optimize existing spaces for use as podcast recording studios. The talk, “Converting an Empty Office to a Podcast Studio,” will take place Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 1:25 p.m. Eastern U.S.

Thanks to hybrid working models, offices are less busy and less noisy, meaning recording spaces can be used more often, and newly empty private offices can become podcast studios.

But existing spaces present multiple acoustic challenges — single-glazed windows, nearby noise sources, and limited available surface area, to name a few. Offices with audio-visual components with frequent audio playback or speakerphone usage also impede recording.

To help, Savitala and his team offer criteria and recommendations for optimizing recording spaces.

“Since offices are being partially occupied, people have become more sensitive to noise,” said Savitala. “HVAC and sound masking noise that was previously deemed acceptable are now considered ‘noisy,’ and clients are requesting lower background noise levels.”

According to their criteria, the primary focus should be on potential noise sources. Converting an interior office may be beneficial if it is distanced from open-plan areas and the surrounding offices are not often used. Exterior offices may have less adjacent noise pollution but may be exposed to traffic noise.

“The addition of minimal absorptive treatments will make a huge difference for recording,” said Savitala. “Selecting podcast-friendly microphones and popfilters can make a huge difference and do not have to be expensive or high-end products.”

The team recommends considering the visual component of recording studios.

“It is popular for podcast shows to have accompanying video for social media posts,” said Savitala. “Therefore, providing aesthetically pleasing room finish treatment options is important.”

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
USEFUL LINKS
Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/
Technical program: https://eventpilotadmin.com/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL21
Press Room: https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLDWIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Worldwide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay language papers, which are 300 to 500 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, staff at media@aip.org can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.