Manage noise and visitors with data.
Smart noise and visitor management: objective real-time data instead of assumptions, privacy by design, scientifically supported. Innovation Tank is in its pilot and development phase and is continuously looking for cooperating municipalities to join as additional locations, for sustainable, livable cities.
- Measures sound levels only, no voice recording or audio.
- Privacy by design, 100 % GDPR-compliant.
A conflict of goals that has so far been negotiated without data.
A vibrant city centre and the residents' need for quiet regularly come into conflict. Decisions are often made on the basis of impressions, not facts.
The problem
Nightlife, tourism and hospitality enliven the city centre, but at the same time burden residents. Debates about noise are contentious, because an objective, jointly recognised basis of data is missing. Administration and urban society talk about the same quarter, but about different perceptions.
The consequence
Curfews and blanket conditions act as a blunt instrument: they often hit even where no problem exists, and do not resolve the actual burden precisely. Conflicts shift instead of being resolved, and trust between those involved suffers damage.
Five building blocks for sound decisions.
Smart noise monitoring and visitor guidance combine objective evidence with data protection, data sovereignty and scientific support.
Objective real-time data
Reliable measurements instead of subjective impressions. Smart noise sensors capture the acoustic situation continuously and create a reliable noise profile as a basis for decisions.
Privacy by design
Data protection is technically built in. No conversations are recorded, no audio data is stored and no personal data is processed. The collection is fully GDPR-compliant.
Operation from a single source
Innovation Tank plans, installs and operates the infrastructure. Municipalities receive analysed data and situation overviews, without having to build their own sensor technology or hold specialist knowledge.
Scientific support
Measurement principle and analysis are scientifically supported. This secures methodological quality and independence.
Impact-oriented
The focus is the impact for the city. Innovation Tank works independently and with scientific support.
In four steps to a sound basis.
A traceable process connects analysis, data-protection-compliant measurement, action and impact monitoring.
Analysis and site selection
Together with the municipality, the question, relevant areas and suitable measurement points are determined.
Installation and measurement
The smart noise sensors are installed and measure continuously, fully compliant with data protection law and without audio recordings.
Analysis and measures
The results are analysed and, on that basis, concrete measures are developed together with administration and stakeholders.
Measure impact and report
Measures are accompanied, their impact is measured and reported to the municipality. This creates a learning cycle.
The duration of the individual phases is defined together for each cooperation during the pilot and development phase.
Data protection, from the ground up.
Smart noise sensors measure the acoustic surroundings without intruding on privacy. Data protection is part of the technology and the measurement principle from the start. For cities, this is the prerequisite for deploying sensor technology in public space in a defensible way.
- No conversations
Content is technically not captured. The sensor technology understands no speech.
- No audio storage
No audio recordings are made or stored, only acoustic indicators.
- No personal data
Individual people are not identifiable. What is measured is the situation, not the person.
- Data protection in the design
The requirements of the GDPR are anchored in the measurement principle and architecture.
Evidence instead of assumption.
Innovation Tank relies on objective measurement data instead of assumptions. Measurement principle and analysis are guided by scientific standards, so that decisions can be well-founded.
Scientific support as a principle
The analysis is scientifically supported. This turns measurements into a reliable noise profile that serves as a shared basis of facts for the city.
HEAR: an ongoing pilot project in Heidelberg.
HEAR creates an objective, data-based foundation to bring vibrant nightlife, tourism and business into harmony with residents' need for quiet.
In Heidelberg's old town, smart noise sensors continuously and compliantly measure the acoustic situation. The measurements form a reliable noise profile. Two automated alerting systems are in place: a direct notification of the hospitality sector for self-regulation, and a digital dashboard for the municipal public-order service.
At a glance
- Status
Pilot phase since October 2025 - Location
Heidelberg old town - Research cooperation
City of Heidelberg
Answers for municipalities and administrations.
Data protection, data sovereignty, scientific rigour, transferability and cost, explained briefly and traceably.
Is the data collection GDPR-compliant?
Yes. The smart noise sensors collect no personal data. No conversations are recorded and no audio data is stored. Only acoustic indicators of the surroundings are measured.
How scientifically grounded is the approach?
The work is scientifically supported. Measurement principle and analysis follow scientific standards and are documented within the project.
Can the approach be transferred to other cities?
Yes. The approach is built in a modular way and can be adapted to different locations. Sensor technology, methodology and analysis logic are tailored to the respective situation on site, from the old town to the events quarter.
What does an implementation cost and are there funding options?
Innovation Tank is currently in its pilot and development phase. There are deliberately no fixed prices for the sensor technology yet. Municipalities join as cooperation and pilot partners: scope and conditions are defined together for each cooperation.
Become a pilot municipality and shape the next phase.
Innovation Tank accompanies municipalities from site analysis to impact monitoring, scientifically grounded.