Speech communication in outdoor soundscapes

Davies, WJ; Mahnken, PZ; Plack, CJ

Abstract

The Positive Soundscape Project is a large multi-disciplinary
project investigating the perception of soundscapes. Recent
findings indicate that speech communication is a principal
factor in users’ perceptions of urban soundscapes. The
project has therefore explored how this factor might be
quantified. This paper reports on an attempt to use speech
intelligibility index (SII) to characterise time-varying speech
intelligibility in real outdoor soundscapes. The relationships
between SII, subjective intelligibility and subjective quality
were explored, as functions of signal-to-noise ratio. Possible
applications in sound quality mapping of soundscapes and
potential implications for rational planning of soundscapes
are discussed.

Citation

Davies, W., Mahnken, P., & Plack, C. (2009, March). Speech communication in outdoor soundscapes. Presented at NAG/DAGA 2009 International Conference on Acoustics, Rotterdam

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: NAG/DAGA 2009 International Conference on Acoustics
• Conference Location: Rotterdam
• Start Date: Mar 23, 2009
• End Date: Mar 26, 2009
• Deposit Date: Nov 20, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 20, 2009
• Keywords: soundscape
• Related Public URLs: http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/profiles/davies/; http://www.positivesoundscapes.org/
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference