'An annoying buzz': The search for stealthier drones
Summary
Drone deliveries from companies such as Amazon and Walmart are becoming more common in the United States, but some residents say the drones’ buzzing disrupts their time outdoors and can be heard inside their homes. Researchers say low-flying drones can make noise especially noticeable, while a London startup says its enclosed-blade propulsion system can reduce drone noise by at least two-thirds.Key Facts
- Amazon Prime Air is expanding deliveries to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns and has also launched service around Darlington, England.
- Amazon’s delivery drones carry items that fit into a space about the size of a shoe box.
- Resident Ashley Schmidt, who lives in suburban North Garland, Texas, says drone noise has led her to spend less time in her garden and stop cycling to nearby parks.
- Acoustic engineering professor Antonio Torija Martinez says drones fly at low altitudes and can introduce aircraft noise to communities that have not experienced much of it before.
- Torija Martinez says people may react more strongly to noise they consider new, intrusive or frequent.
- The Federal Aviation Administration regulates commercial drones in the United States and says operators and local community leaders have primary responsibility for addressing community concerns.
- London-based startup Greenjets says its propulsion system can cut drone noise by at least two-thirds.
- Greenjets encloses spinning blades in a pod and also uses slower rotor speeds and materials intended to reduce vibration noise.
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