What’s Internoise?
Internoise is an annual conference and exhibition of noise control engineering and (increasingly) the social and health aspects of noise. This year, the conference was held in Madrid, Spain. It also was the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Acoustical Society (SEA), and this milestone was celebrated during the proceedings.
The event took place over four days. Participants had so many offerings that you couldn’t possibly attend them all. The topics ranged from transportation and aircraft noise, to workplace noise, to apps that record and map noise and soundscapes, to psychoacoustics and human perception. And this is just a sampling of the fascinating range of presentations.
The vendor booths on the upstairs floor were also quite varied, from analytic tools to soundproofing and anti-vibration products to solutions and services. I had an opportunity to speak with many of the vendors — mostly from European-based companies, which I really enjoyed.
Left: The many densities of anti-vibration Sylomer pads that you can get from AMC Mecanocaucho in Spain and the USA. There’s a density for every type of vibration issue. Right: Acoustically designed wood from Decustik in Barcelona. This wood absorbs sound rather than reflects it.
So what were my top three observations from the conference?
1.) Research and data needs to be paired with action.
The presenters shared a lot of interesting information. I think we need to convey some of that information with solutions for the general public, for governments, and for schools in a way that engages them and brings change. Some good examples of how data + action can bring actionable results include the SoundPrint app (for restaurants) and the Hush City and NoiseScore apps (for mapping quiet spaces or noisy urban spaces). For example, I went to a presentation on how sound affects the taste of food — this research could be used to curate music playlists for restaurants to enable quiet conversation and enhance the taste of the food.
2. We need more brainstorm sessions together.
I was surprised at the vast number of presentations on so many topics. After each presentation, we had only a couple of minutes for Q&A, and then it was time to get to the next session. I see potential for more cross-pollination between vendors, researchers, apps/social media and other technologists. These groups work on some of the same issues from different angles, and could work together (and they might already do that offline).
With so many interesting sessions at Internoise, it was easy to miss a topic area when it had a schedule conflict with another one. A few presenters had to rush through complex issues to make them fit into the time slot. A few panels or hands-on working sessions might be interesting.
To give one example, classroom noise. This issue has some commonality with other noise challenges. Yet classroom noise has a specific impact on students’ ability to learn. A session on classroom noise might include companies that create noise-measuring tools, educators, public health officials, companies that make room and window treatments, and technologists who create applications that engage students or give feedback to teachers.
3. Madrid is a noisy city
This was my first time to Madrid, and I absolutely loved it. The city is highly social and vibrant. The warm climate encourages people to go on the streets and enjoy food, drink, and conversation in many outdoor cafes. It’s really normal to go out to eat at 9 or 10 p.m. and then stay outside for a long time. As a nocturnal person myself, I really enjoyed this.
The street energy loses its appeal when it goes on till dawn and disrupts sleep. At least in the neighborhood where I stayed (Lavapiés), I heard people drinking and yelling on the street all night long. Their voices reverberated off the tall apartment buildings, amplifying the noise and bouncing it into the surrounding apartments. Dozens of people were still on the street yelling and tossing bottles at 6 a.m.
This is where the city must enforce its noise-control laws. No one should be subjected to this kind of noise all night long, and the noise-makers’ rights won’t be violated if you give them a firm warning and send them home in the middle of the night. I wore earplugs, but they didn’t help enough. On my last night in Madrid, one of the neighbors finally called the police at 5 a.m. (around the time that I took this photo) and the group eventually dispersed.
But it has a noise ordinance…
According to this English-language guide, Madrid has a noise ordinance that prohibits noise that exceeds 30 decibels between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. But is it enforced? Absolutely not. This article (written in 2017) for Citylab describes the situation — the person who complains about noise is deemed a “spoilsport,” even though other neighbors also suffer from the noise. The Spanish newspaper El Pais has covered the topic, as well.
Many of us become interested in solving noise problems because we’ve experienced its impact first-hand. Madrid was an ideal example of the exuberance that you can feel on the city streets, and the downside of when that energy is allowed to run wild and unmitigated.
Would I like to visit the city again? You bet! And I hope I can make it to next year’s Internoise conference in Seoul.