Schmidt is among a rising number of residents contending with the noise generated by drones deployed by companies such as Amazon and Walmart in their efforts to accelerate home delivery.
Once considered a novelty, drone delivery services are rapidly integrating into daily life across the United States.
Amazon Prime Air is expanding its operations to almost 500 cities and towns, transporting items small enough to fit in a shoebox. The service has also begun serving customers in and around Darlington, in northern England.
Smaller operators are entering the market as well. In select American cities, customers can have food and ice cream flown in from nearby restaurants and parlours.
Even in urban environments accustomed to constant noise, the sound of drones provokes a distinct irritation.
Whereas the steady flow of traffic often fades into the background, the abrupt whine of a drone’s rotors can cut through the ambient soundscape.
According to Antonio Torija Martinez, professor of acoustic engineering and psychoacoustics at the University of Salford, the sound is “particularly noticeable, even when overall sound levels are relatively low.”
Unlike traditional aircraft, drones fly at low altitudes and frequently pass directly over residential neighbourhoods.
“These operations can expose communities unaccustomed to significant aircraft noise, making them more sensitive to changes in their local soundscape,” Torija Martinez explains.
He cites research indicating that people react strongly to noise they perceive as novel, intrusive, or frequent. Those who benefit directly from drone deliveries, for instance, may be less disturbed by the sound.
However, he warns that such complaints are likely to increase. “At the moment we are seeing some of these problems localised in some areas,” he notes, “but as the drone sector expands, more and more of these complaints will emerge.”
In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversees commercial drones, though it has faced criticism for permitting noisy delivery operations. The agency states that operators and local community leaders bear primary responsibility for addressing community concerns.