Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?

Graduate

group

What campus are you from?

Daytona Beach

Authors' Class Standing

Patric Hruswicki, Graduate Student Isaiah Vahos, Graduate Student Hardi Patel, Graduate Student

Lead Presenter's Name

Isaiah Vahos

Faculty Mentor Name

Chuyang Yang, PhD.

Abstract

In disaster scenarios where visibility can be compromised, and conventional detection methods are ineffective, acoustic detection offers a critical means of localizing victims in search and rescue operations. However, the inherent noise generated by uncrewed aerial rotorcraft systems poses significant challenges to the effective use of acoustic sensing equipment. This research investigates the feasibility of utilizing drones equipped with high-sensitivity microphones to detect and locate humans in such environments. Key questions address the microphone sensitivity required for reliable identification of human sounds and the technologies available to mitigate propeller noise. Through a fusion of aeroacoustic improvements to be made to an uncrewed aircraft’s propulsion system with high-sensitivity acoustic microphones, the feasibility of creating an uncrewed aerial system- based acoustic detection system for disaster victim localization will be explored. A preliminary conceptual design, including all existing and attainable technologies, will be outlined in this study. The research will include a thorough evaluation of the system's feasibility, identification of necessary advancements in sound classification algorithms, and a comprehensive analysis of the integration challenges faced by various acoustic sensors. Ultimately, this research seeks to contribute to enhancing search and rescue technologies through merging feasible leading-edge technologies.

Keywords: uncrewed Aerial Systems, propeller noise, noise mitigation and control, search and rescue, aeroacoustics

Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.

No

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Overcoming Drone Noise for Effective Human Detection in Emergency Response

In disaster scenarios where visibility can be compromised, and conventional detection methods are ineffective, acoustic detection offers a critical means of localizing victims in search and rescue operations. However, the inherent noise generated by uncrewed aerial rotorcraft systems poses significant challenges to the effective use of acoustic sensing equipment. This research investigates the feasibility of utilizing drones equipped with high-sensitivity microphones to detect and locate humans in such environments. Key questions address the microphone sensitivity required for reliable identification of human sounds and the technologies available to mitigate propeller noise. Through a fusion of aeroacoustic improvements to be made to an uncrewed aircraft’s propulsion system with high-sensitivity acoustic microphones, the feasibility of creating an uncrewed aerial system- based acoustic detection system for disaster victim localization will be explored. A preliminary conceptual design, including all existing and attainable technologies, will be outlined in this study. The research will include a thorough evaluation of the system's feasibility, identification of necessary advancements in sound classification algorithms, and a comprehensive analysis of the integration challenges faced by various acoustic sensors. Ultimately, this research seeks to contribute to enhancing search and rescue technologies through merging feasible leading-edge technologies.

Keywords: uncrewed Aerial Systems, propeller noise, noise mitigation and control, search and rescue, aeroacoustics

 

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