Expert Warns of Deafening Noise That Will Come With Drone Deliveries

One little motor? Not a big deal. A few hundred? That might be a problem.

According to at least one expert, regardless of where you live, you may soon start to feel like you have a lot of noise complaints. Drone deliveries can clear up a lot of time and space, but they can also produce noise that could make you think they’ve built a small airport near your house.

Alphabet’s Wing Aviation just received federal approval to start using drones for commercial deliveries. This adds to the competition facing Amazon, which also has a drone delivery program ready for launch. The Verge has reported that the market for commercial drones could triple by 2023. This also means that a lot more loud noise is coming, according to acoustic ecologist Garth Paine. According to Paine, more domestic drones could increase baseline pressure by 20 decibels. He also says that drones will likely make us feel like we’re surrounded by “leaf-blowers, chainsaws, and lawnmowers.”

One drone can make an area 8-12 times louder than it is now, according to Paine, who suggests developing noise controls for commercial drones.

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5 years ago
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