PlumX Metrics
Embed PlumX Metrics

Sound source localization with varying amount of visual information in virtual reality

bioRxiv, ISSN: 2692-8205
2018
  • 0
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 0
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Article Description

To achieve accurate spatial auditory perception, subjects typically require personal head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) and the freedom for head movements. Loudspeaker-based virtual sound environments allow for realism without individualized measurements. To study audio-visual perception in realistic environments, the combination of spatially tracked head mounted displays (HMDs), also known as virtual reality glasses, and virtual sound environments may be valuable. However, HMDs were recently shown to affect the subjects’ HRTFs and thus might influence sound localization performance. Furthermore, due to limitations of the reproduction of visual information on the HMD, audio-visual perception might be influenced. Here, a sound localization experiment was conducted both with and without an HMD and with a varying amount of visual information provided to the subjects. Furthermore, interaural time and level difference errors (ITDs and ILDs) as well as spectral perturbations induced by the HMD were analyzed and compared to the perceptual localization data. The results showed a reduction of the localization accuracy when the subjects were wearing an HMD and when they were blindfolded. The HMD-induced error in azimuth localization was found to be larger in the left than in the right hemisphere. Thus, the errors in ITD and ILD can only partly account for the perceptual differences. When visual information of the limited set of source locations was provided, the localization error induced by the HMD was found to be negligible. Presenting visual information of hand-location, room dimensions, source locations and pointing feedback on the HMD revealed similar effects as previously shown in real environments.

Bibliographic Details

Axel Ahrens; Kasper Duemose Lund; Marton Marschall; Torsten Dau

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Agricultural and Biological Sciences; Immunology and Microbiology; Neuroscience; Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know