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An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
Published on: March 13, 2026
150
Monaural sound localization based on structure-induced acoustic resonance
Keonwook Kim1, Youngwoong Kim2
1Division of Electronics & Electrical Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul 100-715, Korea. kwkim@dongguk.edu.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 11, 2015
Summary
This study introduces a novel monaural sound localization system using pyramidal horns and a single microphone. The system accurately estimates fundamental frequency to determine sound source direction, achieving up to 61% correct signal recognition.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics
- Signal Processing
- Array Signal Processing
Background:
- Sound source localization is crucial in various applications.
- Traditional methods often require multiple microphones, limiting monaural systems.
- Physical structures can predictably alter sound spectra for localization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a monaural sound localization system using multiple pyramidal horns.
- To leverage acoustic resonance for fundamental frequency estimation.
- To determine sound source direction based on derived horn length and angle.
Main Methods:
- A monaural sound localization system employing multiple pyramidal horns surrounding a single microphone.
- Utilizing acoustic resonance within horns to generate spectral periodicity (fundamental frequency).
- Employing the modified Cepstrum algorithm for fundamental frequency evaluation.
Main Results:
- Localization experiments in an anechoic chamber demonstrated up to 61% correct signal recognition.
- The system achieved an average direction estimation rate of 52% in positive-to-positive and 34% in negative-to-positive decisions.
- A 30% misfire rate was observed during azimuthal configuration tests.
Conclusions:
- The designed monaural system effectively localizes sound sources by analyzing spectral periodicity.
- The fundamental frequency estimation is key to deriving horn length and sound direction.
- Further refinement with a detection threshold can improve directional accuracy.
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