Project Sound Sensor Networks and Sub/Urban Health: A Transdisciplinary Approach Using the Purdue Campuses as a Living Lab Program DUIRI - Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship Term Fall 2025 Status Accepted Research Area Global Security Description We're launching a new project that explores environmental pollution and community well-being—through the sounds around us. Using our custom noise sensor networks and hands-on activities, this project will take place across Purdue’s West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses, with a special focus on the Purdue Airport, which includes a recently reopened commercial terminal. This unique setting lets us study how air travel and urban life affect both people and the planet. We welcome students from all majors—engineering, public health, urban planning, aviation, music, and beyond. You’ll work with a team to investigate how noise pollution from planes, drones, and its connections to community health, productivity, and the way communities function. The course includes four main parts: Theory – Learn the basics of soundscapes, remote sensing, audio signal processing/AI, and acoustic ecology. Practice – Go outside! You'll do soundwalks, deep listening, sensor installations (using the Citygram system and the GetNoisy system), and make soundscape recordings. Analytics – Learn how to use and build/improve tools to analyze and visualize noise data—and even turn it into sound (sonification). Interpretation – Create a mini project and present it in a TED-style talk at the new LAMP Recital Hall (Lab for Audio and Music at Purdue). This course builds on international and community-focused soundscape workshops—including events held in South Korea, Colombia, and Purdue’s own Grandparents University. It's all about combining science with creativity, research with community impact. You’ll work in teams to develop public-facing projects like posters, interactive tools, and noise maps that help people better understand their acoustic environments—and how those environments affect them. We'll start with the Purdue Airport and other local sites as our “living labs.” Eventually, this research could expand to larger cities like Chicago and New York, and explore other types of noise—from construction to barking dogs to loud music—in both small towns and big cities. If you're interested in sustainability, public health, tech, sound, or making real change in the world around you, this course is for you. Supervisor Tae Hong Park Mentor Type of work required Installing sensors, data collection and dataset development, data analysis and visualization, using and refining software tools, AI training, present it in a TED-style talk at the new LAMP Recital Hall (Lab for Audio and Music at Purdue).
Websites https://citygramsound.com
https://getnoisy.io Qualifications We welcome students from all majors including engineering, public health, urban planning, aviation, acoustic ecology, music, and beyond. Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 4 (estimated)