Shaping future soundscapes: Affective impact of unmanned aircraft systems noise in urban environments

This study explores the soundscape impact of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) noise in an urban park using soundwalks in two urban park areas: one with prominent traffic noise from a nearby thoroughfare, and the other behind a row of tall pine trees with much diminished traffic noise and more prominent sounds of nature. Objective measurements and subjective responses reveal that takeoff and landing events have greater impact than flyovers, with stronger effects at lower altitudes. UAS noise significantly affects pleasantness and eventfulness in the quieter area, while the noisier area shows smaller perceptual changes. Despite greater differences in the quieter area, pleasantness levels remained higher than in the noisier, suggesting a compensatory effect of ambient noise. Detectability and tonality negatively correlated with pleasantness changes, while impulsiveness correlated positively with absolute pleasantness, likely due to ambient scene characteristics rather than UAS noise itself. The study highlights the importance of considering the background ambience in moderating the perception of UAS noise.