The consortium

Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika), RWTH Aachen University

The Institute of Automotive Engineering at RWTH Aachen University (ika), headed by Prof Lutz Eckstein, has been conducting intensive research into the entire vehicle, including its systems and their interactions, for over 100 years. From the initial idea to component and system concepts through to vehicle prototypes, the employees are designing the vehicle of the future.

Within the BaLSaM research project, ika is represented by the Vehicle Dynamics & Acoustics research department. Experts and the existing research infrastructure in the field of tyres and acoustics will be used to research the source description for tyre-road and AVAS noise as well as the correlation and validation of the simulation results. The institute's PR department is responsible for public relations and the coordination of events.

Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics incl. the PAAD research group, RWTH Aachen University

The Institute of Hearing Technology and Acoustics (IHTA) at RWTH Aachen University focuses on the physical and technical aspects of sound (Chair of Technical Acoustics TA, Prof Michael Vorländer) and its effects on people (Chair of Hearing Technology and Acoustics HTA, Prof Janina Fels). The research group Person-focused Analysis of Architectural Design (PAAD, Dr Josep Llorca-Bofí) based at IHTA is concerned with architectural and urban design, with a focus on human perception, particularly in situations where sound plays a role. IHTA is responsible for the sound propagation simulation and the optimisation study in the BaLSaM project.

HEAD acoustics GmbH

Founded in 1986 by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Genuit, HEAD acoustics GmbH is a global leader in the holistic analysis of sound and vibrations and in the evaluation and optimisation of speech and audio quality in all areas of communication technology.The human listening experience and psychoacoustics always take centre stage.

The company has over 30 years of experience in the evaluation of vehicle noise and has an extensive infrastructure for binaural multi-channel recording and playback, listening tests, sound design and simulation at its main site in the former coal-mining area in Herzogenrath-Kohlscheid near Aachen, where more than 75% of the approximately 400 employees worldwide are based.
In this project, the HEAD acoustics research department is responsible for the evaluation of noise perception by humans and is involved in the sound propagation simulation

REICHER HAASE ASSOZIIERTE GMBH

The planning office RHA - Reicher Haase Assoziierte Architekten Stadtplaner Ingenieure GmbH was founded in 1993 by Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher and Dipl.-Ing. Joachim Haase in Aachen.
Since then, the office has made a name for itself nationally and internationally with a large number of projects. Numerous competition successes confirm the quality of their urban planning and architectural work. The firm specialises in urban planning, architecture and urban research. RHA's work is characterised by the interplay between theory and practice. Christa Reicher's professorship at the Chair of Urban Planning and Design at RWTH Aachen University and various research projects enrich the office's practical work. In the BaLSaM project, RHA is responsible for the measures in the optimisation study.