Directional active noise control for drone noise reduction

Drones have become essential tools for applications ranging from aerial surveillance to last-mile delivery, raising concerns about noise pollution in populated environments. This paper presents a directional active noise control (ANC) framework that targets far-field noise reduction, rather than local suppression. A virtual microphone-based ANC algorithm is employed, using a near-drone microphone array to attenuate noise in a specific region. Experiments in a semi-anechoic chamber show an average reduction of 4.78 dB in the 1500-2400 Hz band and up to 10 dB at harmonic frequencies, highlighting the promise of directional ANC for quieter drone operations in sensitive settings.