The Hearing Car

At the Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA, experts are working in close cooperation with car manufacturers and suppliers on developing the necessary sensor and analysis technologies for the »Hearing Car«. For this purpose, we are using our own vehicle, which acts as a rolling prototype in the project and enables us to record important training data. In this way, our event detectors can be trained using the acoustic signatures of the relevant sounds and by means of machine learning. The result is intelligent sensor platforms with an efficient detector performance.

In order to make the »Hearing Car« reality, our developers are contributing their own special project experience in the automotive sector as well as cross-group expertise. Apart from the development of AI algorithms for acoustic event detection, the researchers at Fraunhofer IDMT are also getting to grips with other challenges. These include optimal signal capture through sensor positioning, signal pre-processing and enhancement, and suppression of background noise. To minimize the influence of wind noise, the »Hearing Car« team is also, for example, developing and testing suitable housings and shields for sensors to pick up airborne sound. 

The contribution made by »hearing for the car« does not end with the recognition of a siren. It is far more intended to ensure greater safety and reliability in road traffic, especially in autonomous driving. Acoustic environment analysis has the potential in future not only to recognize an ambulance but also other acoustic scenarios, such as the sound of playing children when the vehicle turns into a traffic calming zone. Such important information could reach the on-board system even before cameras and radar sensors have recorded the situation. This enables automated driving systems to respond with greater caution according to the situation and thus in a comparable way to the person at the wheel when they hear children playing.

Another objective of The Hearing Car is improve vehicle safety and comfort in general. Acoustic sensors at various points in and on the car supply data to an analysis unit. Recordings from the wheel arch, for example, can indicate road conditions and trigger automatic adjustments to the chassis, e.g. in the area of the suspension or the braking system. In addition, continuous acoustic monitoring of the car’s operating noises can detect damage or wear, enabling an »out-of-round« engine, worn brakes or even a nail in the tyre to be predicted and identified. This enables smart maintenance intervals and repairs before breakdowns or even accidents occur. In addition, communication solutions for voice interaction outside the vehicle provide more comfort and safety, e.g. with a voice-based opening of doors or when an emergency call is made.