Hi, We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a shower is running in the bathroom. Does anyone have any suggestions on how that determination could be made by sound? Might a shower have a specific white noise characteristic that could be identified as unique from music playing, toilet flushing, talking, etc.? Kinda strange question... but just thought I'd bounce this off the community. Any suggestions out there how this might be possible? ...especially if it could possibly be done with a lower-end 16MHz 32bit RISC uP... a small DSP would be possible too. Thanks! Brian
detecting white noise... shower running?
Started by ●January 9, 2009
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:44:03 -0600, "briang2000" <briangk2000@gmail.com> wrote:> >Hi, > >We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a >shower is running in the bathroom. Does anyone have any suggestions on how >that determination could be made by sound? Might a shower have a specific >white noise characteristic that could be identified as unique from music >playing, toilet flushing, talking, etc.? > >Kinda strange question... but just thought I'd bounce this off the >community. > >Any suggestions out there how this might be possible? ...especially if it >could possibly be done with a lower-end 16MHz 32bit RISC uP... a small DSP >would be possible too. > >Thanks! >Brian >Is there a reason this has to be done via audio processing? A flow meter on the head or even just a water detector at the floor might be more reliable. Eric Jacobsen Minister of Algorithms Abineau Communications http://www.ericjacobsen.org Blog: http://www.dsprelated.com/blogs-1/hf/Eric_Jacobsen.php
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
On Jan 9, 12:03�pm, Eric Jacobsen <eric.jacob...@ieee.org> wrote:> On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:44:03 -0600, "briang2000" > >We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a > >shower is running in the bathroom. �Does anyone have any suggestions on how > >that determination could be made by sound? � Might a shower have a specific > >white noise characteristic that could be identified as unique from music > >playing, toilet flushing, talking, etc.? > > Is there a reason this has to be done via audio processing? � �A flow > meter on the head or even just a water detector at the floor might be > more reliable.Interesting application. Audio might be more convenient. One can imagine using a wall-wart with integrated Wi-Fi transceiver that sends an alarm over Internet when shower is running. Might even have small, directional camera built- in. ;) This is certainly feasible. At a given flow rate, the white noise will likely be stationary, and will have certain characteristics, among them being power spectral density, using which you can apply several techniques (matched filter/MMSE/etc). I would be surprised if you did not have almost immediate success since the NNR ("noise"-to-noise) ratio is large. You might build-in self-training feauture so that module determines empirically what "shower on" is versus "shower off" with push of button on module. Typical 16MHz DSP should be more than enough since application is pseudo-real-time. -Le Chaud Lapin-
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
Le Chaud Lapin wrote:> On Jan 9, 12:03 pm, Eric Jacobsen <eric.jacob...@ieee.org> wrote: > >>On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:44:03 -0600, "briang2000" >> >>>We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a >>>shower is running in the bathroom. Does anyone have any suggestions on how >>>that determination could be made by sound? Might a shower have a specific >>>white noise characteristic> This is certainly feasible. At a given flow rate, the white noise will > likely be stationary,BTW the noise of the falling water is the textbook example of the pink noise. Vladimir Vassilevsky DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant http://www.abvolt.com
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
On Jan 10, 7:03�am, Eric Jacobsen <eric.jacob...@ieee.org> wrote:> On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:44:03 -0600, "briang2000" > > > > <briangk2...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >Hi, > > >We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a > >shower is running in the bathroom. �Does anyone have any suggestions on how > >that determination could be made by sound? � Might a shower have a specific > >white noise characteristic that could be identified as unique from music > >playing, toilet flushing, talking, etc.? > > >Kinda strange question... but just thought I'd bounce this off the > >community. > > >Any suggestions out there how this might be possible? �...especially if it > >could possibly be done with a lower-end 16MHz 32bit RISC uP... �a small DSP > >would be possible too. > > >Thanks! > >Brian > > Is there a reason this has to be done via audio processing? � �A flow > meter on the head or even just a water detector at the floor might be > more reliable. > > Eric Jacobsen > Minister of Algorithms > Abineau Communicationshttp://www.ericjacobsen.org > > Blog:http://www.dsprelated.com/blogs-1/hf/Eric_Jacobsen.phpSo he can switch on the shower cam?
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
Vladimir Vassilevsky <antispam_bogus@hotmail.com> writes:> Le Chaud Lapin wrote: > >> On Jan 9, 12:03 pm, Eric Jacobsen <eric.jacob...@ieee.org> wrote: >> >>>On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:44:03 -0600, "briang2000" >>> >>>>We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a >>>>shower is running in the bathroom. Does anyone have any suggestions on how >>>>that determination could be made by sound? Might a shower have a specific >>>>white noise characteristic > >> This is certainly feasible. At a given flow rate, the white noise will >> likely be stationary, > > BTW the noise of the falling water is the textbook example of the pink > noise.I never saw any shower pictures in my textbook... -- % Randy Yates % "And all that I can do %% Fuquay-Varina, NC % is say I'm sorry, %%% 919-577-9882 % that's the way it goes..." %%%% <yates@ieee.org> % Getting To The Point', *Balance of Power*, ELO http://www.digitalsignallabs.com
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
briang2000 wrote:> Hi, > > We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a > shower is running in the bathroom. Does anyone have any suggestions on how > that determination could be made by sound? Might a shower have a specific > white noise characteristic that could be identified as unique from music > playing, toilet flushing, talking, etc.? > > Kinda strange question... but just thought I'd bounce this off the > community. > > Any suggestions out there how this might be possible? ...especially if it > could possibly be done with a lower-end 16MHz 32bit RISC uP... a small DSP > would be possible too.My shower sounds very different before I step into the tub than it does when I stand under the shower head. Do you want to detect both states? Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. �����������������������������������������������������������������������
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
On 2009-01-09, briang2000 <briangk2000@gmail.com> wrote:> > We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a > shower is running in the bathroom.Humidity sensor? -- Ben Jackson AD7GD <ben@ben.com> http://www.ben.com/
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
Ben Jackson <ben@ben.com> wrote:>On 2009-01-09, briang2000 <briangk2000@gmail.com> wrote:>> We've got a safety-related application where we'd like to determine if a >> shower is running in the bathroom.>Humidity sensor?Or a water flow detector. Ask at any plumbing store. Steve> >-- >Ben Jackson AD7GD ><ben@ben.com> >http://www.ben.com/
Reply by ●January 9, 20092009-01-09
briang2000 wrote:> Hi, > > We've got a safety-related applicationIs this a "life safety" or a "physical plant safety" issue? I think you would come up with quite different answers. If it were my personal safety, I'd go with a sensor technique which was more inherently go/no-go (as others have suggested a flow sensor might be appropriate).> where we'd like to determine if a > shower is running in the bathroom. Does anyone have any suggestions on how > that determination could be made by sound? Might a shower have a specific > white noise characteristic that could be identified as unique from music > playing, toilet flushing, talking, etc.? > > Kinda strange question... but just thought I'd bounce this off the > community. > > Any suggestions out there how this might be possible? ...especially if it > could possibly be done with a lower-end 16MHz 32bit RISC uP... a small DSP > would be possible too. > > Thanks! > Brian > >
