Object or surface noise-level detection using radars and/or lidars

A method for measuring noise of a single object or surface in a soundscape of multiple noise-emitting objects or surfaces, the method comprising:

• a. providing a heterodyne signal system (200) comprising:
• i. a signal emitter (210);
• ii. a signal receiver (220);
• and
• iii. a signal processing component (230);
• b. directing, by the signal emitter (210), an original signal to the single object or surface;
• c. accepting, by the signal receiver (220), a return signal, wherein the return signal is Doppler shifted and mixed with the original signal;
• d. removing, by the signal processing component (230), the original signal, resulting in an output signal comprising changes to oscillation carrier frequency;
• e. calculating, by an acoustic spectrum analyzer (300) communicatively coupled to the heterodyne signal system (200), a radiation-factor from the output signal;
• f. calculating, by the acoustic spectrum analyzer (300), a mean-squared velocity value from the output signal, wherein calculating the mean-squared velocity value comprises calculating a variance of a spectral shape of the output signal;
• g. calculating, by the acoustic spectrum analyzer (300), a noise-sound-power value from the mean-squared velocity value and the radiation-factor;
• and
• h. converting, by the acoustic spectrum analyzer (300), the noise-sound-power value into an acoustic decibel value.