Sound Measurement
 Sound Level Meter |
Most of our perception, memory, and actions are based on vision. However, audition also plays critical part. Our group has realized the importance of audition, especially in alarms, auditory signals, and speech, and performed human factors engineering research in the areas for the FAA. As shown in the list of the publications, we have tested voice commands as a control input for Technical Operations maintenance, examined auditory alarms in Technical Operations, and tested the effect of voice communication latency between controllers and pilots in air traffic control for the NEXCOM program. Recently, the NEXCOM program researchers tested alternative auditory Transmit Status Indicators (i.e., busy signals) for the new digital air-ground communication system.
Our laboratory is equipped well with a soundproof booth, speech recognition software, tone generators, a diagnostic audiometer, and a sound level meter. The audiometer is capable of pure tone air conduction testing up to 20,000Hz and full air, bone, and speech testing. It also has full masking capabilities. The data can be downloaded to a computer. The sound level meter is a Type 1 meter (Precision – field and laboratory), can analyze 1/1- and 1/3-octave bands in real time, logs all frequencies simultaneously, can download data to a computer, and merge measurement data with sound that can be played back.
