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Spatial Soundscapes and Virtual Worlds: Challenges and Opportunities
Chinmay Rajguru1, Marianna Obrist1, Gianluca Memoli1
1School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Psychology
|December 2, 2020
Summary
This review explores spatial sound perception in virtual reality (VR) cityscapes, examining human localization abilities and technical challenges. It highlights VR
Area of Science:
- Acoustics and Psychoacoustics
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Virtual Reality Technologies
Background:
- Growing interest in characterizing soundscapes for immersive experiences.
- Previous research focused on temporal sound aspects, now extending to spatial factors.
- Need to understand spatial sound perception for effective virtual environment design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review challenges and opportunities in spatial sound perception, particularly within virtual reality (VR) cityscapes.
- To examine human capabilities in localizing and distinguishing spatial sound cues.
- To evaluate spatial sound perception across various technical setups and environments.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on temporal and spatial sound perception.
- Analysis of research conducted in both real-world and virtual reality settings.
- Discussion of findings related to human localization and discrimination of spatial audio cues.
Main Results:
- Research on temporal sound aspects has advanced to include spatial factors in soundscape design.
- Key findings on human spatial sound localization and cue distinction are discussed.
- Studies in both real and virtual environments provide insights into perception capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Virtual reality technology offers significant opportunities for designing and experiencing virtual soundscapes.
- Advances in spatial sound stimulation present new possibilities for designers.
- Open questions remain regarding the optimal design of virtual soundscapes, especially concerning advanced spatial audio.
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