Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality
To reproduce realistic audio-visual scenarios in the laboratory, Ambisonics is often used to reproduce a sound field over loudspeakers and virtual reality (VR) glasses are used to present visual information. Both technologies have been shown to be suitable for research. However, the combination of b...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.722321/full |
| _version_ | 1818583168917176320 |
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| author | Thirsa Huisman Axel Ahrens Axel Ahrens Ewen MacDonald Ewen MacDonald |
| author_facet | Thirsa Huisman Axel Ahrens Axel Ahrens Ewen MacDonald Ewen MacDonald |
| author_sort | Thirsa Huisman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To reproduce realistic audio-visual scenarios in the laboratory, Ambisonics is often used to reproduce a sound field over loudspeakers and virtual reality (VR) glasses are used to present visual information. Both technologies have been shown to be suitable for research. However, the combination of both technologies, Ambisonics and VR glasses, might affect the spatial cues for auditory localization and thus, the localization percept. Here, we investigated how VR glasses affect the localization of virtual sound sources on the horizontal plane produced using either 1st-, 3rd-, 5th- or 11th-order Ambisonics with and without visual information. Results showed that with 1st-order Ambisonics the localization error is larger than with the higher orders, while the differences across the higher orders were small. The physical presence of the VR glasses without visual information increased the perceived lateralization of the auditory stimuli by on average about 2°, especially in the right hemisphere. Presenting visual information about the environment and potential sound sources did reduce this HMD-induced shift, however it could not fully compensate for it. While the localization performance itself was affected by the Ambisonics order, there was no interaction between the Ambisonics order and the effect of the HMD. Thus, the presence of VR glasses can alter acoustic localization when using Ambisonics sound reproduction, but visual information can compensate for most of the effects. As such, most use cases for VR will be unaffected by these shifts in the perceived location of the auditory stimuli. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:01:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-04c497b1dc3e45ba81348126b6a73f24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4192 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:01:00Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| spelling | doaj.art-04c497b1dc3e45ba81348126b6a73f242022-12-21T22:38:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Virtual Reality2673-41922021-10-01210.3389/frvir.2021.722321722321Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual RealityThirsa Huisman0Axel Ahrens1Axel Ahrens2Ewen MacDonald3Ewen MacDonald4Hearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DenmarkHearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DenmarkInstitute of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DenmarkHearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DenmarkSystems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CanadaTo reproduce realistic audio-visual scenarios in the laboratory, Ambisonics is often used to reproduce a sound field over loudspeakers and virtual reality (VR) glasses are used to present visual information. Both technologies have been shown to be suitable for research. However, the combination of both technologies, Ambisonics and VR glasses, might affect the spatial cues for auditory localization and thus, the localization percept. Here, we investigated how VR glasses affect the localization of virtual sound sources on the horizontal plane produced using either 1st-, 3rd-, 5th- or 11th-order Ambisonics with and without visual information. Results showed that with 1st-order Ambisonics the localization error is larger than with the higher orders, while the differences across the higher orders were small. The physical presence of the VR glasses without visual information increased the perceived lateralization of the auditory stimuli by on average about 2°, especially in the right hemisphere. Presenting visual information about the environment and potential sound sources did reduce this HMD-induced shift, however it could not fully compensate for it. While the localization performance itself was affected by the Ambisonics order, there was no interaction between the Ambisonics order and the effect of the HMD. Thus, the presence of VR glasses can alter acoustic localization when using Ambisonics sound reproduction, but visual information can compensate for most of the effects. As such, most use cases for VR will be unaffected by these shifts in the perceived location of the auditory stimuli.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.722321/fullsound localizationvirtual realityambisonicsaudiovisualHMD |
| spellingShingle | Thirsa Huisman Axel Ahrens Axel Ahrens Ewen MacDonald Ewen MacDonald Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality Frontiers in Virtual Reality sound localization virtual reality ambisonics audiovisual HMD |
| title | Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality |
| title_full | Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality |
| title_fullStr | Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality |
| title_short | Ambisonics Sound Source Localization With Varying Amount of Visual Information in Virtual Reality |
| title_sort | ambisonics sound source localization with varying amount of visual information in virtual reality |
| topic | sound localization virtual reality ambisonics audiovisual HMD |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.722321/full |
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