Schlagwort: ‘Akustik’
The Science of Sound and Well-Being – Inside RWTH’s MOSAIC Project
Traffic noise, birdsong, or the hum of a computer – sounds are part of everyday life. But when do they start to affect our well-being?
That’s the question behind MOSAIC (Acoustic Well-Being in a Multi-Domain and Contextual Spatial Approach), a new graduate research group coordinated by RWTH Aachen University.
Foto: Andreas Schmitter
A key partner is the Institute of Hearing Technology and Acoustics (IHTA), led by Prof. Janina Fels, where engineers explore how sound and human perception interact.
Together with Prof. Marcel Schweiker from the Chair of Healthy Living Spaces, she investigates how acoustic comfort can be measured and improved.
As Prof. Schweiker notes: “Construction noise is usually perceived as more disturbing than birdsong – but at a certain level, even birdsong becomes tiring.”
Beyond volume, the team looks at how light, temperature, and room geometry influence how we experience sound – using methods and instruments deeply rooted in electrical engineering.
At the Kick-off Meeting on October 15, researchers and representatives of the HEAD Genuit Foundation gathered to launch the four-year program.
Foundation founder Prof. Klaus Genuit, a graduate of RWTH’s electrical engineering program and an honorary professor at the university, emphasized the importance of supporting young researchers in acoustic science.
“In a football stadium, I expect a certain level of noise – I’d be surprised if it were quiet,” Schweiker added.
MOSAIC aims to capture exactly this context dependency through modern sensing and signal-analysis techniques – many of which stem from ETIT’s research tradition.
Professor Janina Fels is the designated president of the German Acoustical Society
Professor Fels in the soundproofed laboratory, surrounded by loudspeakers at different room heights. © Peter Winandy
We are delighted and honoured to announce that Professor Janina Fels, Head of the Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics (IHTA) at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, has been elected Vice President and designated President of the German Acoustical Society (DEGA).
Professor Fels will begin her term as Vice President on 1 July 2025 and will be appointed President of DEGA in 2028 in accordance with the statutes. This election is not only a personal success for her, but also a significant recognition of the excellent work in the field of acoustics at RWTH Aachen University. With her scientific expertise, which ranges from acoustic virtual reality to medical and psychoacoustics to room and building acoustics, she has had a lasting influence on the field and has built up an excellent reputation both nationally and internationally.
However, her path also began with a degree in electrical engineering at the RWTH, before Professor Janina Fels completed her doctorate with honours at the Institute of Technical Acoustics under the title ‘From Children to Adults: How Binaural Cues and Ear Canal Impedances Grow’.
‘The election of Professor Fels to head this important institution is a strong sign of the visibility and relevance of acoustics research at RWTH Aachen – and an incentive for young scientists to continue along this path,’ says Martina Dahm, Managing Director of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.
The German Acoustical Society (DEGA) is the central scientific society for acoustics in the German-speaking world. It was founded in 1988 and currently has around 1,900 individual members and more than 70 sponsoring institutions. DEGA promotes interdisciplinary cooperation in acoustics, organises the renowned annual DAGA conference, awards prizes for scientific excellence and is internationally networked in associations such as the European Acoustics Association (EAA) and the International Commission on Acoustics (ICA).
We warmly congratulate Professor Janina Fels on her election and wish her every success for the coming term, scientific impetus and a continued inspiring contribution to shaping the acoustics community.
Further information on acoustics research can be found on the IHTA and DEGA homepages.
Michael Vorländer is new president of the ASA
© IHTA
The first non-American president of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is Professor Michael Vorländer, Chair of Technical Acoustics at RWTH Aachen University.
Founded in 1929, the ASA is the world’s largest professional society in the field of acoustics. Professor Vorländer will serve as a member of the ASA Board of Directors from May 2024 to May 2027 and as President in 2025/2026.
“It is a great honour to be elected President of the ASA. Being the first non-American President is an important step for international cooperation in acoustics and underlines the increasing importance of international perspectives in the scientific community”,
says Vorländer.
With approximately 7,000 members, the ASA is dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of acoustics. The society covers a broad spectrum of acoustical disciplines, supports research, education and application of acoustical principles, develops standards and guidelines, organises conferences and publishes scientific journals such as the renowned “Journal of the Acoustical Society of America”.
For more information about the Acoustical Society of America, please visit their website.
