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All issues Volume 9 (2025) Acta Acust., 9 (2025) 55 Full HTML
Issue
Acta Acust.
Volume 9, 2025
Topical Issue - Development of European Acoustics in 20th Century
Article Number 55
Number of page(s) 20
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/aacus/2025042
Published online 09 September 2025

© The Author(s), Published by EDP Sciences, 2025

Licence Creative CommonsThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

1. Introduction: the founding of the ISVR

The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) at the University of Southampton was founded in 1963 and grew rapidly to become a leading centre for noise and vibration, combining research, teaching and consultancy. A brief history is given of the ISVR and its most important achievements in the 20th Century, including the main researchers and engineers who inspired and guided its activities. This is an expanded version of a paper by Elliott at Forum Acusticum in 2023 [1]. It also draws on archive material from the ISVR Annual Reports [2].

The formation of the ISVR was in no small part due to the far-sightedness and determination of its founder Prof. Elfyn Richards,Figure 1, who had previously been Chief Aerodynamicist and Assistant Chief Designer at the Vickers Armstrong aircraft company. However, it met with some opposition within the University, since in some quarters its remit was considered to be too applied, particularly since Richards initially wanted it to be called the Institute of Noise and Vibration Research.

thumbnail Figure 1.

Prof. E.J. Richards, founder of the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research.

In 1950, when Elfyn Richards was appointed from industry to head the University of Southampton’s first Department of Aeronautics, the UK’s participation rate for young people in university education was 3.4% [3]. By 1970 it had reached about 8%, but higher education in the UK was slow to change from its pre-WWII level, particularly in technical subjects. A critical review was published in January 1961 [4], comparing Britain’s scientific position unfavourably with continental Europe, and in February 1961 the UK Government appointed theRobbins Committee to advise on necessary changes. The realisation that drastic action was needed made it possible for Richards in 1963 to establish the ISVR as a new research institute, founded on industrial as well as Government support [5].

During the intervening years, 1950–1963, Richards had been busy establishing Southampton as a centre for research on noise and vibration problems. Each year from 1956, an international short course on Noise and Acoustic Fatigue in Aeronautics had been hosted by the Department; a book based on the course appeared in 1968 [6]. A one-year MSc course in Noise and Vibration Studies received its first student intake in 1961.

The UK had a thriving and entrepreneurial aircraft industry in the 1960s, with many different companies competing in both the military and civilian aircraft markets. The need to reduce noise levels from aircraft was clear, as was the need to understand vibration-induced structural fatigue, which had contributed to several catastrophic failures in the first commercial jet aircraft, the de Havilland DH.106 Comet [1]. The noise from cars and lorries was also receiving more attention as their number grew. There was a wider, more general, concern about noise in society that led to the UK Noise Advisory Committee, the Noise Abatement Act in 1960 [7] and the comprehensive and highly influential report of the Committee on the Problem of Noise in 1963 (the “Wilson Report") [8], which emphasised the need for more work on aircraft noise. The focus at Southampton on noise was therefore timely.

In addition to Richards, the initial members of the academic staff who transferred from Aeronautics were Philip Doak (Fig. 2a), Peter Davies (Fig. 2b), Brian Clarkson, Graham Gladwell and Newby Curle; they were joined by Theo Priede and Peter Tanner. Research Fellows were Max Bull, Frank Fahy, Mike Fisher, Tony Pretlove, and John Willis, later joined by Chris Morfey, Maurice Petyt, Chris Rice, Mike Shelton and Emeritus Professor Eric Zepler [9]. As then Director Joe Hammond remarked at the 30th Anniversary of the Institute in 1993, “and many of them are still here".

thumbnail Figure 2.

Two founding members of the ISVR: (a) P.E. Doak, (b) P.O.A.L. Davies.

The ISVR expanded rapidly in the 20th Century, its overall income doubling about every 6 years, with roughly two-thirds of this coming from external research grants [1]. There was also a corresponding increase in the numbers of academic and support staff and PhD students, and a widening of the research interests to include automotive noise and vibration, structural dynamics, underwater acoustics, hearing protection and communication, signal processing, human factors and active control. From its early days, the ISVR has been divided into several research groups, which were initially: Fundamental Acoustics and Aerodynamics; Structures and Vibrations; Audiology; Industrial Noise and Instrumentation; and the Automotive Group. March 1968 saw the opening of the Large Anechoic Chamber and the two Reverberation Chambers in the ISVR’s Rayleigh Laboratories.

Another part of Elfyn Richards’ vision was the establishment of an international journal dedicated to both sound and vibration. The Journal of Sound and Vibration was launched in 1964 with Phil Doak as the foundingeditor. He remained editor for 40 years and was succeeded as editor-in-chief first by Maurice Petyt and then by Chris Morfey.

Richards left Southampton in 1967 to become Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University and was succeeded as director by Brian Clarkson. Figure 3 shows the first six directors, covering the period up to 2001.

thumbnail Figure 3.

The first six directors of the ISVR. From left to right: R.G. White (1982–1989), J.K. Hammond (1992–2001), B.L. Clarkson (1967–1978), C.G. Rice (1989–1992), J.B. Large (1978–1982) and E.J. Richards (1963–1967).

2. Aeroacoustics

Before the foundation of the ISVR, some of Elfyn Richards’ extensive contacts in industry had already been providing support for his group’s research, among them G.R.E. Edwards of Vickers-Armstrong, S.G. Hooker of Bristol-Siddeley Engines, and S.L. Bragg of Rolls-Royce. Significantly in the wider context of European acoustics, it was Hooker in 1968 who was responsible for setting up the Concorde Noise Panel [10], chaired by J.E. Ffowcs Williams (who obtained his PhD in 1961 from Southampton, supervised by Richards).

Richards, as Director of the ISVR, was keen from the outset to establish connections with international partners such as Boeing and NASA. This pattern continued after Richards left in 1967, with Phil Doak, who joined as Reader in Acoustics in 1962, spending his 1969 sabbatical leave at Lockheed-Georgia Research Laboratories working on aerodynamic noise theory; subsequently H.E. Plumblee from Lockheed-Georgia completed a University of Southampton PhD. When the US Air Force awarded a large contract to both Lockheed and General Electric to investigate jet mixing noise in subsonic and supersonic jets, Lockheed engaged Doak together with G.M. Lilley from the Aeronautics Department as consultants, and a number of their PhD graduates were hired to work on the multi-year programme, including B.J. Tester and P.J. Morris. Through these and similar interactions, European research in aeroacoustics maintained contact with progress across the Atlantic.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, there was considerable growth in the Institute’s activities in the field ofaeroacoustics, much of this being stimulated by the demand of the aerospace industry for a deeper understanding of the problems associated with noise generated aerodynamically. Fundamental contributions in this field included the formulation of new theoretical approaches [11], analyses of acoustic energy flows [12], the identification of basic source mechanisms [13], investigations of the structure of turbulence and the noise of jet flows [14, 15], analysis of sound propagation in ducts [16] and studies of noise generation by fans and rotors [17]. The quality and scale of these activities attracted investment from aerospace companies around the world. Particularly strong alliances were forged in the USA with Lockheed (on jet noise) and NASA (on acoustic fatigue) and in the UK with Rolls-Royce, as well as with Hawker-Siddeley Aviation and the National Gas Turbine Establishment, Pyestock.

Several important new measurement techniques were also developed. Advances were made in the measurement of turbulence based on hot-wire anemometry[18–20]. Important advances were made in the use of microphone arrays for imaging acoustic sources, particularly those associated with gas turbines. The “polar correlation" technique [21] developed at the ISVR became the standard tool for use by Rolls-Royce in estimating the strength of the various sources associated with a jet engine.

In the 1980s, work continued on propeller noise, duct acoustics [22], non-linear sound propagation [23] and flow-excited resonance [24]. Research into aeroacoustics during the 1990s was concentrated on the modelling of noise generation by coaxial jets [25], with the objective of developing prediction techniques for use in the design of high by-pass ratio gas turbines.

By the turn of the century, environmental pressure to reduce the noise of aircraft was greater than ever and Rolls-Royce, who had supported a Readership at the ISVR (Mike Fisher) since 1968, established a University Technology Centre (UTC) in Gas Turbine Noise at Southampton in 1999 to benefit from the ISVR’s capability in this area. This was led initially by Phil Nelson and subsequently by Jeremy Astley, who joined the ISVR in 2001 as Professor of Computational Acoustics and went on to become Director. In addition, the appointment in 1999 of Prof. Neil Sandham to Southampton’s Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics Research Group led to a new research collaboration on computational aeroacoustics, with particular application to jet and aerofoil noise mechanisms [26, 27].

3. Automotive research

The mid-1960s saw an expansion of automotive engineering research at the ISVR [28]. An Automotive Research Group was formed, led by Theo Priede (Fig. 4), that set about studying all aspects of the noise and vibration generated by internal combustion engines. New engine test facilities were opened in the Rayleigh Laboratories in 1968, which enabled studies to be conducted of a wide range of issues associated with the noise generation process. These ranged from the influence of the combustion process itself [29] to the relationship between the vibration of the engine and its noise radiation characteristics [30], the noise generated by ancillary equipment such as fuel injectors [31], the internal response of road vehicles [32] and the relationship between noise and vehicle operation [33]. In addition, extensive research was carried out, led by Peter Davies, into methods to design engine intake and exhaust silencer systems [34]. Close relationships with industry were a key to the success of these developments with Lectureships being sponsored by The Perkins Engine Company (Eric Grover), British Leyland Motor Corporation (Dave Anderton) and Cummins Engines (Nick Lalor).

thumbnail Figure 4.

Prof. Theo Priede with an early low noise research engine.

The Institute’s work in automotive engineering continued to grow through the 1970s [35]. The use of finite elements for the prediction of engine noise and vibration was pioneered. Low noise design principles for diesel engines were formulated and applied to a variety of engine structures, demonstrating the feasibility of achieving overall noise reductions of about 10 dB [36]. In contrast to diesel engines, very little attention had been paid to the noise from petrol engines until the early 1970s, when a detailed investigation was conducted, which revealed a completely different behaviour and speed dependence from truck diesel engines [35].

The study of vehicle interior noise included modal analysis of car body structures, with modes of an empty car body shell identified as “ring modes" of the passenger compartment [32]. To study the pure acoustic modes of the car interior, an entire body shell was encased in concrete to eliminate vibroacoustic coupling [35]. Compared with an actual car, this showed an exaggerated acoustic modal response that allowed modes to be identified more clearly.

In 1972, it became necessary to establish the Automotive Design Advisory Unit (ADAU) to satisfy the demand for confidential research and consultancy services. Dedicated laboratories, including several semi-anechoic engine test cells and vehicle free-field facilities, were built off-campus at Chilworth.

A number of automotive companies, from the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, North America and Australia, sponsored the design, manufacture and evaluation of various experimental internal combustion engines. Practical low-noise design principles were established that, in many cases, have since been adopted by the industry around the world. Pioneering work was conducted on lightweight, low noise, high-speed passenger car diesel engines including the building and development of a prototype 1.9 L engine that subsequently went into production. Much of this design work greatly benefited from the in-house development of automatic routines for the dynamic optimisation of finite element models of engine structures allowing the trade-off between noise and weight to be carried out efficiently.

The ADAU was the first to exploit a multi-source and multi-path experimental approach to the prediction of both interior and exterior road vehicle airborne noise [37]. This approach has progressively been adopted by much of the automotive industry and led to the receipt of a Henry Ford Technology Award. A number of substitution and general-purpose sound sources were developed and marketed for automotive applications. The Unit also pioneered multi-source, in-vehicle noise simulation that provides a robust and cost-effective way of studying sound quality issues [37].

In the 1990s, many of the previous studies of both the Automotive Group and the ADAU were brought together with the development of a hybrid method for modelling engine noise. By combining the empirical approach with noise generation mechanism models and finite element methods, a powerful tool for understanding and optimising the radiated noise of an internal combustion engine was demonstrated [38].

4. Structural dynamics

The problem of acoustic fatigue of aircraft structures, that is the effects of vibrational stresses induced by jet engine noise, had been recognised and worked upon since the 1950s. Following the formation of the ISVR, research on this topic was transferred to the Institute from the Department of Aeronautics under Brian Clarkson, while a strong collaboration continued with Denys Mead (who remained in Aeronautics). Such studies involved both theoretical and experimental work and a good account of research carried out at Southampton up to the end of the first decade of the ISVR is given in [6, 39]. Theoretical studies and finite element analyses of structural configurations representative of aircraft components were complemented by experimental testing in a high acoustic intensity progressive wave tube, developed and implemented within the ISVR. A vital parameter in any such studies is structural damping andattention was given to energy absorbing mechanisms in built-up structures and practical methods for increasing losses, this being demonstrated to be particularly important for integrally stiffened structures in which inherent damping is extremely low. A principal result was the method for making simplified design calculations for panel-type structural elements [40].

Clarkson and Mead’s reported contributions took the subject up to the advent of the use of composite materials in aircraft. Studies of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) continued at the ISVR, particularly in relation to acoustic fatigue [41, 42] and gaining knowledge of material properties [43]. CFRP can yield a material which has a high stiffness-to-weight ratio compared with common metals. However, at fibre volume fractions and lay-ups used in practice, internal energy dissipation is low. Methods were investigated for increasing material damping by use of short, aligned fibres and choice of resin matrix material [44, 45]. It was found that the loss factor can be increased by using a flexible, highly dissipative resin whilst maintaining high specific stiffness and a similar but lesser effect can be achieved using short fibres. Any such material would, of course, have to be approved for use in aerospace applications. Further study of stiff, lightweight constructions continued with experimental and theoretical studies of the sandwich form of construction – that is face plates with a “honeycomb" core bonded between [46, 47]. Later works also considered novel structural design and configurations when a successor to Concorde was envisaged by both NASA and the European aircraft manufacturers [48]. Acoustic fatigue research was conducted to consider the effect of elevated temperatures, as well as new materials such as diffusion-bonded titanium. In this area, the ISVR participated in a European projectACOUFAT (1990–1993), coordinated by Dassault Aviation, aiming to improve the safety and fatigue life of aircraft structures subjected to acoustic excitation.

One of Clarkson’s students, D.C.G. Eaton moved to the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) where he worked on Concorde with Sud Aviation. He later became head of the acoustics section at ESA ESTEC which led to a fruitful collaboration with ISVR, see Section 15.

In parallel to the experimental activity, the ISVR, notably Graham Gladwell and Maurice Petyt, contributed to the development of numerical methods, particularly the finite element method as applied to vibroacoustic problems, including acoustic fatigue, cracked plates, acoustic finite elements, and curved plates and shells. These required not only linear approaches, but also involved the development of the hierarchical finite element method for large amplitude geometrically nonlinear dynamics [49]. A classic textbook on finite elements for vibration analysis was written by Petyt [50].

The subject of vibration control has always run through the activities of the ISVR [51]. Knowledge of frequency responses and parameters such as resonance frequencies and loss factors are an important part of that. A considerable amount of work was undertaken on the development of the rapid frequency sweep technique for structural frequency response measurement [52]. In vibration control, scaled frequency data can, for example, be used in coupling calculations for vibration isolation systems. Approximate representations of scaled frequency response trends are often useful in this context for examining design details of the coupling between source and receiver. Vibration power transmission analysis and measurement techniques have been developed for the study of machinery installations to determine the paths by which vibration is transmitted from a machine to the supporting and surrounding structure, for example via isolators and pipework. The method was introduced in [53] and power transmission through isolators is examined in [54]. Theoretical studies were carried out on beams with bends and joints, representative of pipework, to examine vibrational power transmission through these types of discontinuities [55, 56].

Fundamental to much of this work by Bob White and his team was the application of wave modelling to structural vibration, typically for one-dimensional wave propagation. Applications included pipework systems for marine applications, but the methodologies were also applied to electrical power plants containing high pressure systems, and to buried water pipes [57]. RogerPinnington applied these wave methods to layered materials, establishing models for wave propagation in highly damped structures such as tyres [58]. The practical developments for vibration control also considered granular material, elastic sandwich and squeeze film dampers [59, 60]. Research in the mid to late 1990s included consideration of tuned and adaptive or active vibration absorbers [61].

An international conference on Recent Advances in Structural Dynamics was first hosted by ISVR in 1980 and has been run every three or four years since then.

5. Vibroacoustics

Frank Fahy, whose research covered many different aspects of acoustics and vibroacoustics, joined the ISVR at its foundation in 1963 as a research fellow and went on to become Professor of Engineering Acoustics, retiring in 1998. To highlight European recognition for the Institute, in 1995 Fahy was awarded the Médaille étrangère de la Société Française d’Acoustique and in 2008 he was awarded the Helmholtz Medal, by the DEGA, the German Acoustical Society.

In 1977, Fahy published the now universally exploited cross-spectral expression for estimating sound intensity using two matched microphones and an FFT analyser [62]. This revolutionised sound intensity measurement as it did not require a dedicated instrument. With Steve Elliott he designed and constructed an analogue sound intensity meter which was used in a number of practical applications in industry. This is shown inFigure 5. Ultimately, in 1989, Brüel & Kjær produced a semi-analogue, semi-digital intensity meter using two, face-to-face, 1 2 $ \frac{1}{2} $-inch condenser microphones separated by a solid spacer, which was the first fully commercial instrument. A monograph on sound intensity by Fahy was published in 1989, with a second edition in 1995 [63]. Between 1983 and 1993, he chaired an ISO working group that produced the first International Standard for measuring the sound power of sources using sound intensity [64].

thumbnail Figure 5.

Prof. Frank Fahy using an early sound intensity probe.

Meanwhile, work on vibroacoustics and the sound radiation from structures culminated in the publication of a widely used book on the interaction of structures and sound [65]. Fahy was a strong proponent of thevibroacoustic reciprocity principle [66], which was recognised as a practical tool for studying aircraft sound transmission [67] and was also embraced by the automotive industry for the diagnosis of noise problems in vehicles [68]. By the 1990s, methods for the prediction of the vibration of structures at low frequencies were quite well developed and attention was focused more on the development and use of statistical energy analysis at higher frequencies, which Fahy championed [69–71].

In the 1970s, work was initiated by Neil Halliwell on laser Doppler anemometry [72] and the development of laser-based techniques for the measurement of surface vibration [73]. This laser vibrometer was selected by Brüel & Kjær for commercial exploitation and launched in 1989. Laser techniques were also used to measure fluid flow, and the name Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was first used for this by Pickering and Halliwell in 1984 [74]. This is now widely used as a standard flow-mapping technique worldwide.

The mid-1970s also saw the return of Elfyn Richards to the ISVR as a research professor, following his retirement as Vice-Chancellor at Loughborough University. Richards established a Machinery Noise Group and dedicated himself to practical research into the noise produced by industrial machinery. The group made valuable contributions to this field, including through collaboration with CETIM, Senlis, France, who funded some of the work. Richards approached machinery noise from an energy point of view, separating out the input energy due to the impacts, the resulting vibration and the subsequent sound radiation, e.g. [75, 76].

6. Subjective acoustics

The 1960s saw a major increase in national and international requirements for research into the area of community reactions to noise and vibration. The formation of the ISVR in 1963 recognised this need, and although unusual in a university engineering department, Elfyn Richards immediately took on staff in the areas of subjective acoustics (C.G. Rice), audiology (R.R.A. Coles) and human responses to vibration (M.J. Griffin), see also Sections 7 and 8. The research activities were to be strongly linked with teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as consultancy.

One of the early research interests was the formulation of a damage risk criterion (DRC) for exposure to high-intensity impulse noise, where it is interesting to record the value of collaborations resulting from international acoustical meetings. In 1965 the ICA meeting in Liège brought Coles and Rice together with US delegates, which led to a joint paper in 1968 proposing a DRC [77]. This was subsequently modified by the US Committee on Hearing and Bio Acoustics (CHABA) and adopted by NATO [78]. Later modifications led to impulse and non-impulse noise being included together in UK and EEC regulations up to an unweighted instantaneous peak sound pressure level of 145 dB, above which the NATO Standard is recommended.

Research into sonic boom from aircraft dominated the 1960s and at the ISVR the possible consequences of supersonic flying over land were investigated through bothlaboratory and field studies. European and American interest in these issues was intense. Startle and behavioural changes were recorded, but the most significant effects reported to the OECD by Lilley and Rice [79, 80] were, in order of importance, damage to buildings, the adverse reaction of animals and possible accidental damage to humans. Subsequently the decision was taken not to allow civil aircraft to fly supersonically over populated areas.

Of great value at this time was the establishment of an exchange programme with the NASA Langley Research Center by Brian Clarkson. This included George Washington University and provided postgraduate tuition and qualification opportunities for NASA staff. This was also supplemented by research staff exchanges between institutions.

The interests of John Large in the planning and legal implications of community noise led to further collaboration with international bodies, particularly in Europe. As well as studying all forms of transportation noise, he also took an interest in the noise effects from construction sites. Together with Jon Ludlow, they showed indications concerning the relative degrees of annoyance caused by given levels of construction and transportation noise and the apparent lack of dependence of annoyance on background noise level. Other adverse responses were also reported that were not associated with noise exposure per se [81].

During the 1980s the European Community (EC) sponsored both field and laboratory investigations into the effects of impulse noise on human beings. These studies were coordinated by the ISVR and involved teams from Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. The findings have been extensively reported [82, 83] and are summarised as follows. There is strong evidence in support of a decreasing level correction from 10 to 0 dB(A) for increasing noise levels from 50 to 80 dB(A).

Earlier subjective acoustics research was developing quickly using the facilities provided by the new Rayleigh Building. The main emphasis was on trying to bridge the gap between the laboratory and field studies using simulated sitting room and anechoic free field listening conditions as well as a sleep facility [84]. Funding was also obtained from the US Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Inter-faculty collaboration with Social Statistics (I.D. Diamond) and Mathematics (J.A. John) wasdeveloped and crucial to the success of the work, stressing the interdisciplinary nature of the research. Transportation noise, from aircraft, road traffic and railways, was studied in an attempt to help define acceptable noise exposure criteria. In 1975, a British national railway noise survey was started by Fields and Walker [85] who subsequently reported that, at equivalent noise levels, railway noise was less annoying than aircraft or road traffic noise. The quantification of subjective responses to noise in the community remained an ongoing problem and continued to be researched by Flindell et al. [86].

The second half of the 20th century has seen human responses to noise and vibration become major international concerns. The health and welfare effects have been increasingly researched and, albeit difficult, quantified to some degree, and regulated accordingly.

7. Audiology and cochlear implants

Ross Coles from the Royal Navy Medical School, Alverstoke (now the Institute of Naval Medicine) was appointed Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the ISVR in 1965, joining full time in 1970. His own personal interest changed from studies of impulse noise towards diagnostic audiology, including use of the newly developing techniques of tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing together with cortical and brainstem evoked response audiometry. Long-term funding was obtained from the Medical Research Council (MRC), and a clinical services contract was obtained with the Wessex Regional Hospital Board.

Coles then negotiated with the Department of Health to introduce Audiological Scientists into the forthcoming Hospital Scientific Service. Once approval was obtained, the MSc course in Audiology was launched in 1972. The course became the premier course in the UK and a mandatory part of the training for NHS AudiologicalScientists. Numerous short courses were also run on various aspects of audiology and vestibular function. In addition to providing an important service to local hospitals, the Wessex Regional Audiology Centre housed in the ISVR was the foundational resource for MSc students to become clinically proficient.

Audiological research in the early years involved studies in industrial audiology and the development of the Hearing Conservation Unit, which was concerned with the prevention of occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Studies included a project to establish a standard subjective procedure for the measurement of the acoustic attenuation of hearing protectors and this was incorporated into a British Standard [87], which with some minor changes is still in use as ISO 4869-1 [88].

Other audiological research was carried out byDouglas Robinson, who joined from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and spent his retirement years at the ISVR. He carried out many quantitative studies on outcomes relating to occupational hearing loss and these were much appreciated internationally and in particular by the UK Health and Safely Executive [89].

In 1977, Coles was appointed Deputy Director of the new MRC Institute of Hearing Research (IHR), moving to the main IHR base in Nottingham in 1979. Alan Martin, who had worked with Coles since 1971, was appointed as a Lecturer in 1978 and led the audiology teaching until he retired in 1999. His research interests focused on industrial audiology and hearing conservation [90]. MarkLutman joined as Professor of Audiology in 1995. Lutman and Martin together investigated the psycho-acoustical properties and protective action of the acoustic reflex, and modelling of the ear canal and middle-ear muscles [91]. On the clinical side, non-invasive techniques were developed to measure minute displacements of the ear drum for the monitoring of intracochlear fluid pressure [92].

Although the problem of noise-induced hearing loss continued to be an important topic [93], audiological studies were increasingly directed towards topics such as otoacoustic emissions [94] and the performance of cochlear implants [95]. Research also aimed at improving hearing aids through the application of digital signal processing techniques [96] and factors affecting hearing aid performance [97] were also investigated.

The South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (later renamed University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service) was formed in 1990 within the University, thanks to perseverance from Norman Haacke (surgeon affiliated to the Cochlear Implant Centre), and ISVR staff Denise Cafarelli Dees and Roger Thornton. It is the only UK cochlear implant centre based entirely in a university, and indeed in an engineering faculty, rather than inthe NHS.

The last decade of the 20th Century saw a rapid change in the UK cochlear implant field; up to that point, few cochlear implants had been carried out in the UK. In 1990, the UK Department of Health started cochlear implant programmes in selected centres. The first cochlear implant surgery in Southampton was performed in 1990 in an adult patient, and the first in a child 2 years later. At that time, cochlear implants were only offered to people with a profound deafness who received no benefit from conventional hearing aids. Children were usually implanted around age 3–4 years, whereas now babies are often implanted before their first birthday. Although all the patients were profoundly deaf in both ears, a cochlear implant was only provided for one ear; bilateral cochlear implants were not approved for children in the UK until 2009 [98] and remain unfunded by the NHS in adults. By the year 2000, patients were just starting to have processors fitted behind the ear – before that, the only option was a body-worn processor worn in a pocket, belt or harness.

Southampton was one of ten UK centres that took part in the implant evaluation (IMPEVAL) study [99]. Cochlear implants are now a routine treatment offered to adults and children with severe to profound deafness [100]. At the time of writing, around 2000 patients have received a cochlear implant at Southampton.

The Southampton centre has been involved in many seminal cochlear implant studies which have influenced policy over the years. Research has included, for example, studies of language development [101, 102], speech perception [103], auditory localisation [104] and music perception by cochlear implant users [105] and has involved collaboration with groups in the UK, Europe, Australia and the United States.

8. Human response to vibration

The Human Factors Research Unit (HFRU) was established within the ISVR in the late 1960s to study and understand the effects of vibration in various environments, such as transportation, military, and industrial settings. Research on human response to vibration began with the establishment of a comprehensive literature collection by John Guignard. Over the next four and a half decades, the unit’s work on vibration was led by Mike Griffin (Fig. 6), focusing on three main areas: whole-body vibration, hand-arm vibration, and motion sickness. His seminal book, The Handbook of Human Vibration [106], remains a cornerstone in the field, reflecting his vision to consolidate knowledge and establish the ISVR as a centre of excellence.

thumbnail Figure 6.

Prof. Mike Griffin.

8.1. Whole body vibration

Whole-body vibration (WBV) occurs when mechanical vibration is transmitted through the human body, typically while seated or standing on vibrating surfaces such as vehicle seats or decks. Early research focused on military environments, particularly the effects of WBV on visual and manual performance in aircraft such as helicopters and fast jets, with support from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and US Air Force [107]. Later, the MOD funded studies on WBV in armoured vehicles and naval seating in high-speed boats, where wave impacts had been linked to injuries [108].

The ISVR has been instrumental in understanding the health impacts of WBV, including musculoskeletal disorders and chronic lower back pain. To assess the cumulative exposure in complex vibration environments, the Vibration Dose Value (VDV) was introduced, utilizing a fourth-power relationship of weighted acceleration to estimate total exposure [109]. The SEAT (Seat Effective Amplitude Transmissibility) value was also developed to evaluate seat performance and remains a key metric in standards such as ISO 7096 [110], influencing vehicle and seat design across industries such as agriculture, construction, maritime and defence. ISVR’s research significantly influenced national and international standards for safe vibration exposure, such as BS 6841 [111] and ISO 2631 [112], which provide guidelines on the effects of WBV on comfort, health and safety.

As industry focus turned towards improving the passenger environment in vehicles, laboratory studies at the ISVR were performed using purpose-built electrodynamic and hydraulic shakers to explore subjective comfort of vibration across all six motion axes [113]. These experiments, which examined the effects of posture, direction and vibration characteristics, established standardized frequency weightings [111, 112] and revealed that body resonance frequencies decrease with increasing vibration amplitude suggesting a non-linear effect [114]; they also showed that biodynamics vary significantly among individuals [115]. Further research examined how vibration is transmitted through the body [116], affecting the spine, neck, and performance in tasks such as reading, writing and operation of controls [117], as well as subjective responses when combined with noise [118].

These findings supported the development of models predicting vibration responses on seat surfaces [119] and within the human body, including to the spine and head [120]. Physical anthropodynamic dummies, which represent the mechanical impedance of the human body up to 30 Hz or higher, were also developed to provide more consistent measurements of seat performance compared with using human subjects [121].

8.2. Hand-arm vibration

Another major area of research has been hand-arm vibration (HAV), which is common among workers using hand-held power tools such as chainsaws, jackhammers and drills. Continuous exposure to HAV can lead to serious conditions such as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and vibration-induced white finger, which can permanently damage nerves, blood vessels and muscles.

Since the late 1970s, the ISVR performed fundamental studies of physiological responses to hand-transmitted vibration, including the effects on vibrotactile and thermal thresholds of blood flow, finger temperature and finger systolic blood pressure [122]. The results of these studies led to the development of techniques and equipment for the diagnosis of vascular and neurological disorders caused by hand-transmitted vibration and were instrumental in the standardisation of diagnostic techniques. The HVLab instruments developed at the ISVR for the diagnosis of disorders caused by hand-transmitted vibration are widely used in medical, industrial, research and educational establishments for medical diagnosis and fundamental research.

The ISVR was involved with research studies aimed at understanding the relation between occupational exposures to hand-transmitted vibration and the development of signs and symptoms of disorder. Much of this work was conducted in conjunction with the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and led to published guidance to industry and would later contribute to the European Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive [123] and the Control of Vibration at Work regulations [124].

Research into the subjective responses to HAV, measuring both absolute thresholds and equivalent comfort contours, contributed to frequency weightings that are standardised in BS 6842 [125] and later ISO 5349 [126] for the measurement and evaluation of exposures. The ISVR also developed methods to measure, evaluate and model the transmission of vibration through gloves, contributing to ISO 10819 [127].

8.3. Motion sickness and low-frequency vibration

Motion sickness is a debilitating condition affecting many people when they are exposed to very low frequency motion (i.e. less than 1 Hz). It is understood to be caused by mismatches between the various sensory inputs received by the brain and how it distinguishes between movement and orientation in space. Motion sickness research at the ISVR began with pioneering studies of ferry passengers, comparing questionnaire responses about motion sickness incidence with simultaneous measurements of ship motions in six axes [128, 129]. The work demonstrated the motion sickness effect of vertical acceleration frequency and magnitude and resulted in the W f frequency weighting and the Motion Sickness Dose Value defined in BS 6841 [111], which was then adopted within a later revision of ISO 2631 [112]. These form the basis of current guidance used by ship designers and operators to minimise the risks of sea sickness amongst passengers.

Later studies investigated motion sickness among passengers of cars, coaches [130], and tilting trains. These were supported by laboratory experiments conducted in the 1990s and early 2000s, which included using a motion simulator capable of 12 m of horizontal motion and 10 degrees of rotation. The results demonstrated the non-linear effects of combined horizontal and rotational motion in those environments, including with fore-aft, lateral, roll and pitch motions, and with combined motions of differing relative magnitudes and phases [131].

Other groundbreaking laboratory experiments investigated the nauseogenic potential of apparent motions resulting from a moving visual field, using opto-kinetic drums and virtual reality headsets. In these experiments, motion sickness was not due to vection, the illusion of motion, but instead due to the likely degree of retinal slip of the visual scene on the fovea within the eye [132].

9. Architectural acoustics

Although Phil Doak was sponsored by Hawker Siddeley Aviation, alongside his work in aeroacoustics he maintained an active interest in musical acoustics and the interaction of the performer with the surrounding space [133]. He worked with a number of PhD students who went on to become internationally renowned in this field, notably Harold Marshall (now Sir Harold), who was responsible for the acoustics of Christchurch Town Hall in New Zealand, George Dodd [134] and Mike Barron, who authored a definitive book on auditorium acoustics [135]. Marshall and Barron continued to work together to establish the importance of early lateral reflections in creating spatial impression for the listener [136].

In 1967, the University of Southampton had been left a legacy that was used to build a concert hall on the campus [137]. Phil Doak was tasked with joining the Steering Committee as acoustic advisor. In this, he was assisted by Mike Barron, George and Sarah Dodd, Frank Fahy and Peter Wheeler, particularly as Doak was on a year-long sabbatical leave in America at the crucial time in 1969–1970! The Turner Sims, seeFigure 7, was opened in April 1974. It has a fixed seating capacity of about 350 and a large flat stage that can accommodate a full orchestra. Due to budget constraints, the building was restricted to a rectangular brick box-shaped structure, and Doak insisted that irregularities be incorporated into the side walls, to avoid flutter echo or colouration effects on the sound reaching the listeners. The seating rake was also increased to ensure adequate sightlines and hence adequate direct sound, and the ceiling height was adjusted to ensure sufficient reverberance. The overall effect, despite the various compromises, is a very pleasing concert hall that has served the university and the community well for over 50 years.

thumbnail Figure 7.

The concert hall at the Turner Sims, photo credit Paul McCabe, used by permission of Turner Sims.

10. Signal processing

The ISVR was quick to embrace new methods of signal processing and analysis, and during the 1960s and 1970s there was considerable investment in computer equipment for the acquisition and digitisation of electricalsignals, particularly those generated by acoustic and vibration transducers. Software was written, known as DATS, that made efficient use of the (then relatively new) Fast Fourier Transform for spectral analysis and a whole suite of programs was soon assembled to facilitate the analysis and display of the acquired signals. This predated the widespread use of software such as Matlab for this purpose by some 20 years. The hardware and software facilities provided by the ISVR’s Data Analysis Centre, established in 1966 and led by Colin Mercer [138], were some of the best available in this field and soon became sought after by external clients. In 1979 Mercer left to establish a spin-out company, Prosig Ltd, that still trades successfully and provides software, hardware and consultancy services to industry.

The rapid development during the early 1980s of computer technology led to the growth in research into signal processing methods within the ISVR, championed by Joe Hammond (pictured inFig. 3). The methods were applied to a wide range of fields, spanning most areas of sound and vibration, including structural analysis, audio, speech processing, condition monitoring and sonar. The principles underpinning this development led to the textbook published by Shin and Hammond [139]. Joe Hammond had a long association with the International Conference on Acoustical and Vibratory Surveillance Methods and Diagnostic Technique held for many years at CETIM and chaired by Simon Braun.

Particular emphasis was given to the analysis of non-stationary systems [140], and tools for the analysis of non-stationary signals, e.g. time-frequency representations [141], with work conducted in collaboration with several French institutes, including ENSTA, Paris; CNRS, Marseille; and LAMI, Toulouse. These methods were adopted in a range of applications, but one fruitful area was in the field of biomedical signal processing [142], which foreshadowed the current research activities in the institute based on signal processing in the context of healthcare. Prof. Robert Allen was instrumental in developing work in the field of biomedical signal processing, and was founding editor-in-chief of two journals: “Biomimetics and bioinspiration, learning from nature" and “Biomedical signal processing and control".

One approach to cope with time varying properties within a system is to employ adaptive filters [143]. These were extensively studied for a wide range of problems including new methods for system identification [144], problems of deconvolution [145], sonar, and adaptive noise cancellation.

In conjunction with the study of non-stationary signals, there was considerable research in the field of non-linear systems, working in collaboration with colleagues in Slovenia, France and Greece [146]. This included the study of chaotic signals [147] and systems using fractional derivatives [148]. One strand was the use of higher order spectra (HOS) [149], originally considered for use in detecting underwater signals and for condition monitoring [150]. The principles behind HOS are closely linked to Independent Component Analysis, which was most successfully applied to electrophysiological signals [151].

In the 1990s multi-channel signal processing techniques were also applied to problems in sound reproduction and virtual acoustic imaging [152], to inverse problems in acoustics [153, 154] and to underwater sonar applications.

11. Active control of sound and vibration

In the 1980s, the ISVR was involved at an early stage in the development of active headphones, originally for military personnel such as pilots. Peter Wheeler and staff in the consultancy unit of the ISVR developed an active feedback system, from a microphone inside the earcup to the internal loudspeaker, that attenuated these low frequencies [155, 156] and allowed effective communication at sound levels that were not harmful. This work was originally sponsored by the MOD in collaboration with the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and was then successfully commercialised by Racal Acoustics.

Another early application of active sound control at the ISVR was for the reduction of blade passing tones inside propeller aircraft. In the 1980s a series of research contracts to consider the feasibility of such a system were awarded to Phil Nelson and Steve Elliott (who both later became ISVR Director, seeFig. 8), in collaboration with British Aerospace who supported the subsequent flight trials. Significant developments were made both in understanding the acoustic limitations of active control in enclosures using multiple loudspeakers and microphones [157–159] and in the use of adaptive digital filters to implement the multichannel control systems required in this application [160]. This research work led to the successful flight demonstration of active sound control in a propeller aircraft [161], which used 16 loudspeakers and 32 microphones to reduce the sound levels at the blade passing frequency of 88 Hz by 13 dB and the levels at the second and third harmonics by 9 dB and 6 dB respectively. At about the same time a group from Topexpress Ltd also demonstrated an active control system in the same aircraft with similar results [162]. Ultra Electronics later developed a commercial active control system using shakers mounted on the fuselage instead of loudspeakers, which is now fitted in over 1000 aircraft [163].

thumbnail Figure 8.

(a) P.A. Nelson (ISVR Director 2001–2005), (b) S.J. Elliott (ISVR Director 2005–2010).

A more challenging control problem is the active control of engine tones inside automobiles, since the frequency and amplitude of these engine tones vary rapidly as the vehicle accelerates and decelerates. Adaptive digital filters turned out to be well suited to tracking such changes and their use was initially demonstrated in 1988 [164] as part of a successful collaboration with Lotus Engineering. In contrast to the aircraft industry, where weight and performance were the primary drivers, the implementation of active control in cars is very cost sensitive and it took about 25 years for active engine noise control systems to move from these initial demonstrations into mass production, in companies such as Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Hyundai [165].

The interaction between the tyre and the road is another significant source of low frequency noise in cars. Although active control systems to control low frequency road noise in cars were initially demonstrated in 1994 [166], their commercial introduction was significantly delayed by the need for multiple accelerometers to act as reference sensors and the complexities of longer digital filters to cope with the broadband nature of the random road noise, and it was not until relatively recently that the first commercial system was announced [167]. These active systems focused on the global control of low frequency sound throughout the car cabin, but to increase the frequency range later work examined more local control systems, targeting attenuation at the ears of a driver or passenger using loudspeakers in the headrest [168].

Important insights into the active control of sound radiation were obtained by considering combinations of primary and secondary monopole sources in free space [169], and the understanding of sound radiation from structures was improved by the decomposition of the radiation problem into its independent “Radiation Modes" [170]. This led to the development of special distributed sensors and sensor arrays for active radiation control. It also influenced the approach to the active control of sound transmission, which was originally pursued because of its potential application to controlling noise inside aircraft [171]. A more widespread problem is sound transmission in buildings and although the active control of low frequency transmission through masonry walls and ceilings has also been considered, the variability of the sound transmission mechanism makes this a difficult, long term, problem, as is the active control of sound through open windows and other applications in the built environment [172].

Active methods have been used to control vibration as well as sound at the ISVR. The active control of gear meshing tones in helicopter support struts was demonstrated by Sutton et al. [173] using magnetostrictive actuators to attenuate multiple structural waves, and the fundamental limitations of active vibration isolation systems were also explored at this time [174, 175]. Adaptive or semi-active systems for vibration control were studied in which the tuning frequency of a vibration neutraliser was altered to track changes in the excitation frequency of the system [176].

Much of the work on active control was summarised in a series of books, on Active Control of Sound [177], Active Control of Vibration [178] and Signal Processing for Active Control [179].

12. Underwater acoustics

The ISVR also made a strategic decision in the 1980s to foster work in the field of underwater acoustics. This aligned with a national decision to bring together the Institute for Oceanographic Sciences with the University’s departments of Geology and Oceanography to form an Oceanography Centre based at a new dockside campus in Southampton. The growing role of acoustics as a scientific tool to understand the marine environment provided many potential areas of collaboration. The first appointment in this area was Dr Stewart Glegg who was lecturer in underwater acoustics until 1985.

Early work was focused on underwater sound propagation [180] and the effects of non-linear propagation. The focus on underwater acoustics led to the development of the A.B. Wood Laboratory for Underwater Acoustics, which opened in 1989. This provides experimental facilities for underwater testing in a tank measuring 8 m by 8 m with a depth of 5 m.

The 1990s saw considerable growth in the activities associated with underwater acoustics and ultrasonics, led by Prof. Tim Leighton. Much of this effort was focused on the acoustics of bubbles in liquids, the fundamental work relevant to the field being brought together in a major text published in 1994 [181]. Measuring the size of bubbles in the ocean was a major research activity at this time. Attention was primarily directed toward the dynamic conditions found near the sea surface or in the surf zone [182]. Under such conditions, bubbles have a dramatic impact on the propagation of sound in these regions and furthermore play an important role in the transfer of gas from the atmosphere into the ocean, a process the understanding of which plays a vital role in modelling climate change. The sounds of bubbles being formed at the sea surface is a major source of underwater noise and in 1997 an international conference on “Natural Physical Processes Associated with Sea Surface Sound" was held and organised in Southampton. These studies relied on developments of acoustic inversion techniques for the estimation of bubble size distributions [183] and other ocean parameters [184].

The other major strand of work considered the use of ultrasound. One aspect of this was the safety surrounding the new generations of baby scanners, with their increased acoustic power [185]. There was also work looking at the behaviour of bubbles in extreme environments, for example the study of sonoluminescence [186, 187] (the emission of light by gas bubbles exposed to sound). This was combined with industrially motivated work applying ultrasound to the investigation of flows in pipes consisting of gas-liquid mixtures [188]. Other significant work in the field of ultrasonics included studies of the propagation of sound in cancellous bone [189] and the development of new techniques to aid in the diagnosis of osteoporosis [190].

13. Railway noise and vibration

Following the study by Fields and Walker [85], a strong relationship was developed with British Rail (BR), as a result of which the ISVR joined BR in establishing the International Workshops on Railway Noise (IWRN). The first of these was held in Derby, UK in 1976 [191] and they have now settled into a three-yearly frequency. In the 1980s David Thompson completed a PhD at ISVR externally while working at BR [192]. Through European collaboration, coordinated by the International Union of Railways (UIC), this led to the development at TNO in the Netherlands of the TWINS model for rolling noise, now widely used in the railway industry[193].

There was a major expansion of the ISVR’s work on railway noise from 1996, facilitated initially by two EU funded projects, Silent Freight and Silent Track [194, 195]. Through these projects, David Thompson and Chris Jones, both formerly of BR Research, joined the ISVR. These projects involved major European railway companies and manufacturers and led to an extensive combined field trial of various mitigation measures for rolling noise in 1999 [196]. The TWINS model was also further developed and validated. An important outcome of the Silent Track project was a rail damper that was developed by the ISVR in partnership with British Steel, which can reduce the noise radiated from the track by several decibels [197]. It was subsequently commercialised and installed in over 15 countriesworldwide.

In parallel, research into the modelling of ground vibration from railways was undertaken, which led to the development of both semi-analytical [198] and numerical [199] modelling approaches. In both cases, these made use of Fourier transforms from the spatial domain to the wavenumber domain; similar approaches have also been widely adopted by other research teams,e.g. [200–202].

14. Education

The postgraduate MSc programme in Sound and Vibration Studies, introduced in October 1961, became the first of the ISVR’s full time taught courses. An MSc course in Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Design Technology was also later launched. The MSc in Audiology commenced in 1972 (see Sect. 7). An undergraduate BSc programme in Engineering Science was introduced in 1966, which included acoustics, and since 1975 there has been a dedicated undergraduate programme in Acoustical Engineering (the names of the programmes have changed over the years). At its 50th anniversary, Fahy recorded that the ISVR had awarded 789 first degrees, 1316 Master’s degrees and 495 PhDs [9]. Many graduates and former staff went on to develop successful academic careers in acoustics around the world. As well as those mentioned above, these include Goran Pavic,Helmut Fuchs, Stuart Bolton, Patricia Davies, Chris Fuller, and Gary Koopmann.

The short course in Noise and Vibration, initiated in 1956 in the Department of Aeronautics, subsequently became the ISVR’s annual Advanced Course in Noise and Vibration. Short courses were also developed through collaboration with European partners through SAVOIR (Sound and Vibration: Organisation, Information and Resources), which was established in 1990 under the EC COMETT Programme. The network included ISVR, TNO, Metravib, Brüel & Kjær and KU Leuven. The SAVOIR course on Railway Noise was particularly successful and was run 10 times over the following 20 years.

An EU-funded European Doctorate in Sound and Vibration Studies was launched in 2000, coordinated by the ISVR and led by Paolo Gardonio, through which a total of 126 young researchers were trained by eight European hosting institutions. Each doctoral student under this programme spent typically 30% of their time at a “Hosting Institute" and the remainder at their “Home Institute".

15. Consultancy activities

The ISVR was a pioneer of university-industry collaboration and has always valued the synergy and interaction between research, teaching and consultancy. An informal Industrial Noise Advisory Service was set up in 1966, and this became a full-time consultancy in 1968 [203], now known as ISVR Consulting.

Initially, the demand was mainly in industrial and environmental noise and vibration, especially for plant and transportation. Soon, projects became more innovative and diverse with an increase in applied research and numerical modelling, particularly using Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA). Projects spanned a wide range of applications, including assessing building responses to sonic boom, evaluating noise from underground railways and tramways, silencer design, studies of aircraft and airport noise, and SEA models of vehicles, boats, spacecraft, bridges and buildings.

Significant work was undertaken with the European Space Agency (ESA) leading to the publication of a Structural Acoustics Design Manual, which contained many contributions from the ISVR [204]. Several projects were carried out with ESA and its predecessors on acoustic and vibration protection for spacecraft structures and satellites. These included studies of noise transmission through payload fairings [205, 206], investigations of vibration on satellites [207] and modelling of satellite vibration using SEA [208].

With quieter aircraft engines, aerodynamic noise from landing gear and airframes became significant during approach. Malcolm Smith collaborated with Airbus in 1998 to develop a semi-empirical prediction model for aerodynamic noise from aircraft landing gears [209]. This initial study resulted in many subsequent EU and UK funded research contracts and collaborations with aerospace research centres and companies around Europe, covering a wide range of airframe noise issues, well into the next century.

Working with the RAE and the UK MRC’s Applied Psychology Unit (MRC APU), warning sounds were designed and tested for military helicopters [210]. Warning sound levels were set relative to the masked threshold imposed by the background noise [211, 212]. Warning sounds were also designed and tested for hospital intensive care units [213] and for British Rail’s Inductive Loop Warning System for track workers [214].

The UK arm of Knowles Electronics donated an acoustic manikin of their own design (Kemar) to the ISVR many years before similar devices were developed commercially by Brüel & Kjær and Head Acoustics. It was used to assess noise exposures from headphones and earpieces [215] for compliance with the Noise at WorkRegulations 1989 [216], the UK’s implementation of EC Directive 86/188/EEC. The method, based on ISVR research into measuring the real-ear responses of hearing aids, involved calculating the sound level of a diffuse field which would produce the same sound levels at the manikin’s eardrum as the actual earphone. The method was widely used to assess noise exposures from headsets in call centres, control rooms and broadcast studios, and from radio earpieces used by police officers. The idea of using a manikin to measure levels from earphones was later adopted in ISO 11904 [217]. The Kemar became a“frequent flyer" in 1995 when it was used to assess the noise exposures of flight crew for British Airways during flights to Europe and North America, seeFigure 9 [218, 219].

thumbnail Figure 9.

Kemar in the cockpit of Concorde in the 1990s.

Other notable projects included the design of microphone windscreens for wind turbine noise measurements in (necessarily) windy conditions [220], the assessment and control of noise under motorcyclists’ helmets [221, 222] using miniature microphones, and the assessment of noise from children’s toys and its effect on hearing [223] to inform prEN 71 [224].

16. Concluding remarks

The ISVR continued to grow throughout the first decade of the 21st Century, expanding into areas as diverse as virtual acoustics, biomedical signal processing and modelling of the cochlea. The ISVR was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 with the citation for “Improving the quality of life for the profoundly deaf and reducing noise pollution". The ISVR has continued to have a wide participation in EU-funded projects in areas including aircraft noise, railway noise, active noise control, digital signal processing in audiology and human vibration.

The ISVR has had to adapt to several changes to the University’s structures and currently resides in the School of Engineering. The research group structure has continued to serve the Institute well, there currently being three groups: Acoustics; Dynamics; and Signal Processing, Audio and Hearing. The triple emphasis on research, education and enterprise that was part of Elfyn Richards’ vision has also stood the test of time, and although ISVR Consulting and USAIS are now organisationally separate, strong collaboration with the rest of the ISVR remains.

Cite this article as: Thompson D.J. Elliott S.J. Morfey C.L. Dixon J. Ferguson N.S. White R.G. Rice C.G. Cullington H.E. Toward M.G.R. White P.R. & Lower M.C. 2025. The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research: contributions to the development of European acoustics in the 20th Century. Acta Acustica, 9, 55. https://doi.org/10.1051/aacus/2025042.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to former colleagues Maureen Mew, Malcolm Smith, Dave Anderton, Chris Lewis, Barnaby Donohew, Henrietta Howarth and Miyuki Morioka who provided many helpful suggestions. Extensive use has been made of source material provided by Prof. Phil Nelson that was written in support of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize awarded to the ISVR in 2005. Use has also been made of material written for the ISVR’s 50th anniversary in 2013 by the late Ross Coles and the late Alan Martin on audiology and by the late Frank Fahy on sound intensity.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

No new data were created or analysed in this study.

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Cite this article as: Thompson D.J. Elliott S.J. Morfey C.L. Dixon J. Ferguson N.S. White R.G. Rice C.G. Cullington H.E. Toward M.G.R. White P.R. & Lower M.C. 2025. The Institute of Sound and Vibration Research: contributions to the development of European acoustics in the 20th Century. Acta Acustica, 9, 55. https://doi.org/10.1051/aacus/2025042.

All Figures

thumbnail Figure 1.

Prof. E.J. Richards, founder of the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research.
In the text
thumbnail Figure 2.

Two founding members of the ISVR: (a) P.E. Doak, (b) P.O.A.L. Davies.
In the text
thumbnail Figure 3.

The first six directors of the ISVR. From left to right: R.G. White (1982–1989), J.K. Hammond (1992–2001), B.L. Clarkson (1967–1978), C.G. Rice (1989–1992), J.B. Large (1978–1982) and E.J. Richards (1963–1967).
In the text
thumbnail Figure 4.

Prof. Theo Priede with an early low noise research engine.
In the text
thumbnail Figure 5.

Prof. Frank Fahy using an early sound intensity probe.
In the text
thumbnail Figure 6.

Prof. Mike Griffin.
In the text
thumbnail Figure 7.

The concert hall at the Turner Sims, photo credit Paul McCabe, used by permission of Turner Sims.
In the text
thumbnail Figure 8.

(a) P.A. Nelson (ISVR Director 2001–2005), (b) S.J. Elliott (ISVR Director 2005–2010).
In the text
thumbnail Figure 9.

Kemar in the cockpit of Concorde in the 1990s.
In the text

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