Traffic Density Estimation and Mechanical Condition Determination of Vehicles using Acoustic Signals

In this paper we will estimate the vehicular traffic density by using cummulative acoustic or sound signals. Here we will estimate three probable conditions of traffic that is heavy flow traffic (0-10km/h), medium flow (2040km/h), and free flow (above 40km/h) traffic. Cumulative sound signals consist of various noise signals coming from various parts of vehicles which includes rotational parts, vibrations in the engine, friction between the tires and the road, wind effect, gears, fans. Noise signals are tire noise, engine noise, engineidling noise, occasional honks, and air turbulence noise of multiple vehicles. These noise signals contains spectral content which are different from each other, therefore we can determine the different traffic density states and mechanical condition of vehicle. For example, under a free-flowing traffic condition, the vehicles typically move with medium to high speeds and thereby produces mainly tire noise and air turbulence noise and less engineidling noise and honks. Similar vehicles working in comparable conditions would have a similar sound signals that could be used for recognition.