Eighty-five percent of the noise heard in Barcelona comes from traffic, and it is one of the city’s main sources of pollution. And now, the city intends to listen to that noise with surgical precision to combat it. Under the umbrella of the Barcelona Innova LAB Mobility program, the City Council has selected two technological projects that will be tested from the fourth quarter of 2025 on the city’s streets.
The mission? To reduce noise pollution using artificial intelligence and big data.
Cameras that not only see, but also “hear” noise in real time.
One of the winning projects is from the Dutch company Sorama BV. Its system, called Loud Vehicle Detection, consists of installing acoustic cameras with AI capable of detecting and locating vehicles that exceed the permitted noise level. The novelty is that the information is displayed on LED screens on the road, so that drivers can correct their behavior on the spot.
The second project, Traffic-Noise, is a collaboration between Spain’s Bettair and Trafficnow.It offers an integrated platform that combines high-precision acoustic sensors, advanced machine vision and predictive algorithms, all in real time. Its goal: to identify sources of urban noise, anticipate critical events and assess the impact of sustainable mobility policies to improve urban planning.
The pilot tests, which will begin in October 2025, will last 18 months, with funding of 100,000 euros per project, approximately 70% of the total cost. In addition, they will have international visibility by being part of the next edition of Tomorrow.Mobility, which will be held in November in conjunction with the Smart City Expo World Congress at Fira de Barcelona – Gran Via.
Both proposals have been selected in an international call promoted by the Barcelona City Council, the BIT Hàbitat Foundation and Fira de Barcelona, which received twenty applications -14 of them international- from companies, technology centers, universities and foundations.