Acoustic Camera Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Acoustic Camera Market is expected to register a CAGR of 4% over the forecast period (2022 - 2027). Some key drivers responsible for the market's growth include the growing adoption of room and building acoustics and emerging audio and video combined microphone and camera array technology.

Key Highlights

• An acoustic camera is an innovative way of locating, visualizing, quantizing, and identifying sound sources. It uses the capabilities of a microphone array with a camera to "paint" a picture of the sound and the various sound intensities. The rise in demand for process automation, adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and stringent regulation against noise pollution are primarily responsible for the growth of the acoustic camera market.
• There are many applications of the acoustic camera, with most focusing on noise reduction. The camera is frequently applied to improve the noise emission of vehicles like cars, airplanes, trains, and other structures like wind turbines. In the industrial sector, compressed air leaks, vacuum system leaks, and electrical partial discharge are all expensive system issues that consume power, causing companies to deal with unforeseen costs and potential production/uptime issues. Ultrasound imaging with an acoustic camera effectively detects these equipment issues as part of a complete asset management plan. This easy-to-use technology typically allows professionals to complete their inspections faster than traditional methods.
• The current trend moves toward adopting computing power and analytics provided by the acoustic imaging camera and any companion software by significant players. For instance, a camera, such as the FLIR Si124, offers on-camera analytics, easy-to-understand reporting, and predictive analysis using an AI/web tool. An inspector can classify leak severity, perform leak cost analysis, and do partial discharge pattern analysis in rreal timeduring a survey. Once the survey is complete, the inspector must automatically connect to their Wi-Fi network to upload images to the acoustic camera viewer.
• Recently, acoustic analysis attracted more attention and is being applied in many fields, such as speech recognition. However, due to background noise, condition-monitoring methods based on acoustic analysis are still tricky in an industrial environment. For many years, diagnostics in the industry were performed "by ear," with subsequent assessment of the emitted sound. Still, the influence of background noise can strongly affect the quality of such a judgment.
• To meet the various demands of the customer, the acoustics camera firms are expanding their product portfolio by introducing new products. For instance, in December 2021, The new acoustic camera SONASCREEN was added to the product line of SONOTEC, the Halle, Germany-based ultrasonic experts. The camera uses audible and ultrasonic frequency ranges to produce acoustic images. The tool makes it simple for maintenance crews to find leaks in compressed air and vacuum systems. By introducing the new industrial imager, SONOTEC offers an additional tool for energy auditing and predictive maintenance, ensuring operational dependability and efficiency. It is provided at a competitive price to make the SONASCREEN accessible to many clients and their applications.
• In acoustic cameras, many microphones are included to enhance the detection range and the number of data signals required for processing. This significantly increases the requirement for processing power, increasing the cost of the final product. Furthermore, the gap between the acoustic image pixel rises with an increase in distance. The availability of limited pixels availability is limited, which often makes it difficult to determine the exact location of the sound source.
• The COVID-19 pandemic affected the operations of microphone market players and the businesses of companies related to microphones, including acoustic cameras. However, the healthcare sector gained the market's growth. For instance, during the pandemic, a cough-detection camera contributed to the prevention and early detection of epidemics in public places.

Key Market Trends

Automotive Industry to Hold Significant Market Share

• Automotive is expected to witness significant growth in the acoustic camera market. The industry is growing due to the latest new technologies and additions, such as electric vehicles and autonomous cars. These new technologies have upscaled testing of noise, vibration, and harshness. As a result, the demand for acoustic cameras is increasing in automotive for buzz, squeak, and rattle (BSR) concerns in vehicles and production procedures.
• The automotive industry is witnessing steady growth, especially after the setback caused by the pandemic, which is expected to create more opportunities for the acoustic camera market. According to the International Energy Agency, sales of electric cars (including plug-in hybrids and fully electric) doubled in 2021 to reach about 6.6 million.
• To reduce the noise pollution caused by vehicles, several countries are framing new regulations and running pilot programs expected to support the growth of the studied market. For instance, in January 2022, the French government announced a new experiment with 'noise cameras' to tackle excessive noise from moving vehicles.
• With automobiles making their place in the day-to-day life of consumers, the sales of cars are also expected to grow. Furthermore, the demand is also expected to grow owing to the rising disposable income of developing countries. According to OICA, all types of global sales of automobiles reached 82.68 million in 2021.

Asia Pacific Expected to Witness Significant Growth

• The Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the acoustic camera market. Automotive industries in Asia-Pacific increased in the past few years. The change in these industries has been propelled by a vast population shift and an increase in disposable income, which has prompted a higher demand for products in Asia-Pacific.
• The sales of passenger cars, especially in countries such as China, India, South Korea, etc., have also been growing, which is expected to impact the demand for acoustic cameras positively. For instance, according to OICA, the number of passage cars sold in the Asia Pacific region increased from 32.21 million to 34.52 million.
• In the past few decades, the region's manufacturing sector has increased significantly. According to the World Bank, the value added by the manufacturing industry to the GDP of the East Asia & Pacific region increased to 25%. Manufacturers from the area are adopting new techniques in manufacturing to reduce costs, save time, increase efficiency, and improve product quality. Growing manufacturing facilities across various industries and rising noise levels from multiple manufacturing plants and their associated discomfort to humans are expected to drive the demand for acoustic camera solutions in this region.
• The Aerospace industry in the Asia Pacific region has also been experiencing s steady growth, driving the demand for acoustic cameras. Along with the defense, the civil aviation industry is also witnessing significant growth. For instance, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the number of air passengers in China increased from 417.78 million to 440.56 million.

Competitive Landscape

The Acoustic Camera Market is fragmented and is growing in competition. Various companies are focusing on growth strategies such as product launches and many mergers and acquisitions in the market. The market players expect lucrative future opportunities with the rising demand for acoustic cameras. Some major players operating in the market include Microflown Technologies, SM Instruments Inc., Norsonic AS, and Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.

• June 2022 - Teledyne FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, expanded its Si124 industrial acoustic imaging family of cameras by introducing a new set of sound imaging cameras that feature a wider acoustic detection range, up to 65Khz, along with a quick start power button and an integrated battery to make condition monitoring and inspection more effective and efficient.
• January 2022 - SONOTEC, a German company, expanded its product range with the new acoustic camera SONASCREEN. According to the company, the camera generates acoustic images from audible and ultrasound frequency ranges, enabling maintenance teams to locate leaks in compressed air and vacuum systems quickly.

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