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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
09:01
Development of an Audio-based Virtual Gaming Environment to Assist with Navigation Skills in the Blind
Published on: March 27, 2013
Perceptually coherent sound-space traversal for interactive systems via embeddings, VAE priors and diffusion decoding
1Department of Applied Arts, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, 17104, Republic of Korea.
Scientific Reports
|July 1, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel framework for interactive audio synthesis and traversal, enabling real-time control of vast audio archives. The hybrid model ensures smooth sound-space navigation and high-quality synthesis for interactive applications.
Area of Science:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Science
- Digital Signal Processing
Background:
- Large audio archives are rich in sonic material but difficult to control interactively.
- Existing methods often struggle with unconstrained audio generation and smooth transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a framework for interactive latent audio synthesis and continuous sound-space traversal.
- To enable controllable media from large audio archives for interactive contexts.
Main Methods:
- Organized AudioSet using pretrained audio encoders (AudioMAE, CLAP) into a structured embedding space.
- Employed a variational autoencoder (VAE) and latent diffusion model for smooth latent representation and refinement.
- Utilized DDSP-based synthesis and Ambisonic spatialization for controllable waveforms and spatial rendering.
- Incorporated gesture control at inference time for traversal and spatial modulation.
Main Results:
- Achieved high CLAP similarity (0.82) and low mean F0 error (245.3 Hz).
- Demonstrated spectral convergence (0.132) and low interactive latency (~35 ms).
- Pilot evaluation indicated perceived smoothness, controllability, responsiveness, and creative usefulness.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid framework provides technical evidence for latent continuity, synthesis stability, and real-time traversal feasibility.
- Preliminary user evaluations suggest positive perceptual qualities for interactive audio applications.
- The approach facilitates the use of large audio archives in interactive installations, live performance, and adaptive sound environments.
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