ACOUSTICS HEALTH
Acoustics Perception in Constructed Environment



SIAL Team:
    Mark Burry
    Jeffrey Hannam
    Sanjay Kumar
    Dinesh Kumar


Research Team:
Prof Mark Burry, Dr.Dinesh Kant Kumar,
Sanjay Kumar , Melaku Alemu, Jeffrey Hannam

The objective of the project is to determine the effect of sound on human performance. The specific aim of the project is to determine the effects of varying sound properties such as level of volume, temporal and frequency properties of sound on the measurable changes in the physical and physiological behaviour of humans. The project focuses on naturally occurring sounds described as continuous, variable, intermittent, impulsive, random, and non-continuous as well as different kinds of music. The effect on human is measured by biosignal indicators such as SEMG (Surface Electromyography), Skin Conductance, and Cognitive tests such as Stroop Colour and Word test (mental fatigue, perception and attention test), digit span test & free recall test (memory test) to measure effect on human.

The bio-signals are recorded using Am Lab instrument, which offers a high degree of safety for humans and animals and has an optical isolation, which prevents the participant from shock or the reverse current. Optical isolation circuits protect the input channels to insure electrical safety when connecting electrodes and transducers to participants. So to ensure safety, the participant should be electrically isolated from the electrical connection (to the power line or ground) associated with the power source. Recorded data is taken to Matlab and analysed using different signal processing techniques and statistical tools are used to compare the results from different recordings.

The research aims at considering acoustics disturbances and noise as a stressor, and is attempting to extract qualitative and quantitative results to express noise consequences in psychophysiological human behaviour. The aim of the research is to determine the effects of different kinds of sound with controlled intensity (defined by acoustics loudness) and temporal-spectral properties on various biological parameters such as SEMG, GSR, blood oxygen saturation level and psychological indicators like emotional activity, motor control, subjective responses, central fatigue, anxiety and nervousness under different environmental and cognitive contexts. This research work provides a platform for combining perception and knowledge and thus bridges the gap between subjective and objective science.

The research requires the analysis of psychophysiological data in response to predefined acoustics events. This requires subjective and objective experiments conducted where subjects are exposed to controlled acoustics stimulation while they are monitored for changes in their biological and subjective parameters.

This project is supported by the VRII infrastructure grant under the supervision of Prof. Mark Burry and Dr.Dinesh Kant Kumar.