3D Sound for Human-Computer Interaction: Regions with Different Limitations in Elevation Localization

Armando Barreto, Kenneth John Faller II and Malek Adjouadi

Eleventh International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility - Posters and Demos (ASSETS 2009)
Pittsburgh, PA, USA, October 26-28, 2009

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Summary

ABSTRACT Spatialized (“3D”) audio may be useful as an alternative sensory channel to provide blind individuals with relevant spatial information in the physical world or while interacting with computers. However, an important limitation for this approach is the lower spatial resolution achievable through sound localization. While this limitation is widely acknowledged, few empirical evaluations of the sound localization achievable through audio spatialization techniques have been performed, particularly with respect to elevation localization. We performed such an empirical study and found quantitative confirmation that the localization accuracy deteriorates as the virtual sound position is set farther above or below the ear (height) level. This information may be valuable to HCI designers planning to use 3D sound.

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