Barcelona turns to artificial intelligence to quieten traffic

The city is launching two ambitious artificial intelligence pilot projects to reduce one of its invisible enemies: noise. More than 85% of the noise comes from traffic, and now, thanks to technology, the aim is to curb it with innovative, real-world solutions tested on the streets.

The first project, developed by the Dutch company Sorama BV, will use acoustic cameras and AI to track excessively noisy vehicles. When a car exceeds the established limit, the system detects it, geolocates it and displays the information on digital panels. A way of making visible what previously went unnoticed.

The second system, called Traffic-Noise and created by Bettair and Trafficnow, combines high-precision acoustic sensors, artificial vision and predictive algorithms to understand — in real time — where the noise comes from and how it behaves. The platform anticipates peaks in noise pollution and helps measure the effectiveness of public policies.

Both projects will be tested for 18 months from the end of 2025. They are part of the Barcelona Innova Mobility Lab programme, which turns the city into a living laboratory for cleaner, healthier and quieter mobility.