AFF Technical Resources - Ford Engineers Listen To The Science Of Sound

November 3 2010

FORD is tapping into Generation Y to help discover the sounds of tomorrow.

The youth generation is just one demographic the company is researching to develop in-car alerts and warning chimes to help drivers respond to possible dangers.

Ford's research work in the United States into the science of sound shows certain types of alerts work better in certain situations and that sound frequencies and rhythms play an important role in the driver responding appropriately.

Any in-car alerts and sounds must also appeal to drivers of different ages in the various Ford markets across the globe.

"Ford engineers spend a tremendous amount of time finding just the right sound for just the right situation to help customers react to potential dangers," said Paul Mascarenas, Ford Vice President of Engineering, Global Product Development.

"We also listen to our customers so they listen to the car when needed – we don't want them to be annoyed and tune out important warnings."

The company has workshopped a wide array of sounds such as a golf ball rattling into a cup, bird and insect noises and youthful club music like the "Youth Scratch" sound created in the likeness of a DJ scratching a vinyl record – many of which do not make the final cut.

Some sounds that were considered but not adopted, such as the sound that mimicked the chirping of crickets, were too literal to be effective.

Other sounds that do well in consumer preference testing do not meet the standard for eliciting the proper driver response, such as the soft, electronic beat sound "Techno01", similar to club music around the world. "Techno01" did well in the subjective studies but was not audible enough to cut through the car’s background sounds.

Others couldn't overcome a generational divide, such as the "Youth Scratch" sound so loved by Generation Y. Ford discovered that it appealed to younger drivers, but not to older drivers.

Finding the right universal sound that works for all drivers is a challenging objective and one that transcends geographic boundaries.

"Ford has an extensive process for developing sounds just as a conductor brings together different instruments to make a single sound," said Alex Petniunas, technical expert for Sound Quality.

"But the goal of our sounds is not to entertain you; it's to help make sure you respond quickly to the driving environment that can change instantly."

Because sensory perception and preferences vary around the globe, Ford also tests some sounds in different regions to develop uniform cues that work in specific consumer markets.

For example, 24 sounds options were tested for a new global turn signal chime for Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

By leveraging the company's global resources, sound engineers were able to determine in a week the new variation of a modern-day version of the "tick-tock" customers have grown accustomed to based on older electro-mechanical systems that relay the beating sound of their turn signal.

"There are both creative and technical elements in fine-tuning our sounds to get them exactly right," said Petniunas. "A key objective is identifying the kinds of warnings drivers will find both more effective and easier to understand so that safety features are used correctly and more frequently."

A team of Ford engineers spend their days dreaming up sounds and subjecting them to a battery of tests to determine which warnings help drivers best react to possible dangers and work in harmony with other sounds in the vehicle.

This grueling process involves complex scientific theory, listening clinics and on-road simulations to whittle down numerous sounds to the few that prove most effective.

In developing its safety sound cues, Ford relies on principles of music theory, mathematical analysis and psychoacoustics – the study of sound perception – to research properties such as pleasantness, loudness and sharpness.

As a musical composer might select from different types of sound to cast a specific mood, Ford sound technicians choose from a palette of psychoacoustic parameters to create the ideal acoustical and vibrational environment based on the following measures:

The sights and sounds of Ford safety

Sight and sound alerts are incorporated into many of Ford’s innovative safety features, including:

BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert: Identifies when a vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding exterior rear view mirror, providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching. An audible alert is sounded as well.

Collision warning with brake support: This technology is designed to help drivers avoid rear-end collisions. Using long-range radar hidden in the front of the vehicle, collision warning detects moving vehicles ahead and alerts the driver of a collision risk with an alarm and warning light.

MyKey®: Allows parents to limit vehicle’s top speed and radio volume to encourage teens to drive more safely and improve fuel efficiency. The audio controls are important to maintaining a volume level that ensures drivers can hear outside warnings, such as emergency response vehicles and traffic hazard signals. It also encourages seat belt use, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 72km/h (45mph), 88.5 km/h (55 mph) or 105 km/h (65 mph).

Belt-Minder®: A seat belt reminder technology for the front occupants that takes over after the initial seat belt reminder stops chiming. If the occupants remain unbuckled, the system chimes and flashes a warning lamp periodically for five minutes, or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first.

Visit HERE to hear Ford’s safety sounds first hand, including some that didn’t make the cut.