Whether it is annoying noise from neighbours, the monotonous hum of road traffic, or challenging speech conditions in a video conference, sound affects us in different ways in our daily lives.
Sound can also be used to analyse material properties, detect early signs of damage in building constructions, as a communication tool in the sea, or to explore the inside of the body.
SINTEF collaborates with industry, academia and public authorities to find solutions that require specialized knowledge of sound and sound propagation. Our experience with research and consultancy in the field of acoustics stretches back to the 1970s, thus we have a very good insight into today's challenges and developments in the field.
We conduct research, specialist consulting and laboratory tests.
We work with
- acoustics, vibrations and sound conditions in buildings
- understanding how sound affects people and animals (noise annoyance, surveys/mapping, hearing, sound in natural habitats)
- calculation methods and tools for outdoor sound propagation (roads, tracks, industry, aircraft/helicopters/drones, shooting, wind turbines)
- methods for testing hearing, for example automatic and manual pure-tone audiometry, speech in noise tests, otoacoustic emissions
- implementation of listening tests
- sound propagation in water (noise from ship traffic, communication systems in water, animal welfare)
- acoustics in industrial applications (Non-destructive testing (NDT), signal processing, monitoring of building elements and pipe systems)
- ultrasound for the analysis of material properties and medical applications
- machine learning models and artificial intelligence based on acoustic data
- sound as communication technology (microphone technology, auralization, video conferencing systems)
