Arup has been commissioned by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of the Hong Kong SAR Government to conduct a feasibility study on using artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies for noise and vibration recognition in domestic renovation.
The study is part of the EPD’s initiative to develop a mobile application for the public to record and report domestic renovation cases that potentially violating the requirements under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO) in future.
As part of the study, Arup will collect noise and vibration data at various renovation sites, combining it with common background noise data. The study will focus on three types of percussive tools that are proposed to be regulated under the NCO: the percussive drills, the percussive breakers weighing less than 10kg, and those weighing over 10kg. The team aims to gather over 1,000 data sets for analysis and AI modelling.
Backed by the AI modelling, Arup will develop a proof-of-concept mobile application. Compatible with both iOS and Android platforms, the application will enable the public to record noise and vibration generated during domestic renovations by neighbours using their smartphones. The application will analyse the data and notify users if the noise is from those equipment under the control of the NCO, and it will also allow users to open a report case. All data will be hashed and encrypted using the blockchain to ensure data integrity, immutability, and security.
