Schiphol Noise Predictor 31 August 2016 Environmental sustainability

Schiphol Noise Predictor 31 August 2016 Ontwikkeling omgevingsinformatie

If only you’d known… A handy app for avoiding a lot of bother 

You are sitting outside your holiday home at the `ringvaart´. It’s a beautiful summer’s day. Just as you open your book a plane flies over. “Oh no, don’t tell me they are taking off from the Aalsmeer runway,” you say to your partner. “Maybe it won’t last long,” you say to one another. And there you are, while one aircraft after another noisily flies over you. If only you’d known, you’d have stayed at home. You can prepare for anything, but not for aircraft noise. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a kind of rainfall radar for aircraft noise?

Check the app

That is certainly what KDC thought and why it is developing a prototype of the Schiphol aircraft noise app. The Schiphol aircraft noise app will mean that as a resident of the area around Schiphol you will know when and how much aircraft noise you can expect. And how long the noise will last. This means you will be able to anticipate the noise and adapt your plans accordingly. The prototype is expected to be ready at the end of 2016.

Three heads are better than one

Bianca de Wit, advisor at LVNL, explains further about the new app: “The Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) is working together with app builder M2mobi and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) on developing a prototype of the app. The NLR is responsible for developing the engine that contains the underlying information for the app. M2mobi will deliver the concept, design and development of the app. The KNMI will provide communications advice.”  

Step-by-step

“We are using the scrum methodology here. This means we apply short-cycle methods in order to develop a prototype. We are testing the prototype in a small user group and will subsequently adjust the prototype. We are doing this in a number of steps in order to obtain the best results.”  

How the app works

De Wit explains: “You input a location and can immediately see what aircraft noise you can expect over the next 30 hours. This relates to aircraft noise caused by aircraft landing at or taking off from Schiphol. You can input several locations. The app shows you how noise levels will develop during each 20-minute period. We are also considering other options, such as if noise levels increase for a long period.” That could avoid a lot of bother! 

Als je dat had geweten … Een handige app voorkomt een hoop ergernis  

Je gaat zitten voor je vakantiehuisje aan de ringvaart. Het is een prachtige zomerdag. Maar net als je je boek openslaat komt er een vliegtuig over. “O jee, ze  gaan nu toch niet starten van de Aalsmeerbaan” zeg je tegen je partner. “Hopelijk duurt het maar even” zeg je tegen elkaar. En daar zit je dan, terwijl het ene na het andere vliegtuig brullend overkomt. Als je dat had geweten was je thuis gebleven. Je kunt je op alles voorbereiden, maar niet op vliegtuiggeluid. Zou het niet mooi zijn als je daar ook een soort van buienradar voor zou hebben?

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