Presentation and missions of a noise observatory / Development of a sound radar designed to track down excessively noisy vehicles (abstract)

Bruitparif is the noise observatory for the Paris region which has a population of over 12 million inhabitants. It is an association made up of around a hundred members representing local authorities, government departments, economic activities and environmental protection associations. With a team of 18 engineers and technicians, Bruitparif carries out several missions: Characterizing noise in the region by conducting innovation projects, managing a noise monitoring network (more than 200 permanent measuring stations), producing strategic noise maps and carrying out population surveys). Advancing knowledge of the health and socio-economic impacts of noise (participation in research programmes, carrying out studies to quantify the health impacts of noise and the social cost of noise). Supporting the implementation of public policies aimed at improving the noise environment. Informing the general public. Bruitparif works mainly in the Paris region, but also in other areas in France and abroad as part of partnership projects or experiments. Bruitparif also has a subsidiary, Viginoiz (http://viginoiz.com), which markets and distributes the products and services resulting from its innovations. Since 2021, Bruitparif has been developing a sound radar system to monitor and penalise excessive noise emissions from vehicles. Inspired by the technology already used in the ‘medusa’ environmental sensor that the association developed and patented in 2019, the 'Hydra' sound radar goes one step further by making it possible to determine the exact distance between the noise source and the sensor and to take a photo of the vehicle's registration plate. The first version of 'Hydra' has already been successfully tested in several cities in France and Europe as part of trial runs (i.e. without fines being issued at this stage). Bruitparif is in the process of having the final version of Hydra, which has been improved in terms of its metrological accuracy, its identification capacity and its mechanics, approved by the French metrology laboratory. This legal metrology approval is expected by the end of 2025, and will pave the way for the implementation of Hydra with fines. For more information, visit http://www.bruitparif.fr