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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/D034809/1
Title: Effects of reverberation on conversation in rooms
Principal Investigator: Culling, Professor J
Other Investigators:
Marsh, Dr AJ Watkins, Dr AJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Arup Group Ltd Saint-Gobain
Department: Sch of Psychology
Organisation: Cardiff University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 February 2006 Ends: 31 July 2010 Value (£): 349,691
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Acoustics Vision & Senses - ICT appl.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Construction
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
People usually understand what is being said to them, even when there is quite alot of background noise. However, anyone who has struggled to hold a conversation in a noisy cafeteria has some idea that a reverberant room can make it more difficult to hear what people are saying. Relatively little research has been done on the effects of reverberation on speech understanding in background noise. So, our current understanding of how exactly the reverberation has its effects is limited. At the same time, it seems to be a real problem in room design. Some rooms that are intended for social interaction make conversation almost impossible at busy times. This research proposal aims first to obtain a better understanding of how and why reverberation is detrimental and then to apply that understanding practically. The ultimate objective is to produce a computer program and a set of guidelines that an architect could use to predict the performance of a room from the plan alone.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.cf.ac.uk