Sound localization in web-based 3D environments

Sound delivery is a key aspect of immersivity in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), with studies hinting at a correlation between users’ ability to locate sounds around them and the ‘feeling of being there’. This is particularly true for WebVR, a method of delivering immersive experiences through a local web browser that has recently captured attention in multiple industries. In WebVR, audio is the main spatial cue. Designers need to select the correct number of sound sources so that users perceive the location of incoming sound correctly. Information on how users localize sound is essential. Sound localization experiments, so far, have been run only in empty spaces or closed rooms, without clear indications for designers in WebVR. Thus, in this study, we investigate sound localization directly through WebVR. To do so, we designed a traditional empty room for training and a city-like virtual environment for testing purposes. In our paper, we also discuss key design parameters, differences in perception for vertical and horizontal directions, the impact of training, and the role of changing virtual environments. In addition, we introduce and test a new sound cue along with the traditional pink noise sound to measure and explore the impact of different sound cues in different environments. The results demonstrate the potential of exploring sound localization using WebVR, and our study will support the development of virtual experiences in human-computer interaction that may be able to reach a large number of participants using a local web browser

Shaping sound like we do with light

Immersive technologies have received increased attention from the scientific community over the last two decades. According to previous research, the ‘sense of sound’ is the second most dominant sense after ‘vision.’ Taking this into consideration, advancements in immersive technologies, which were initially focused on visuals and graphics, have begun to pay more attention to sound delivery and perception. Currently, in the field of sound, headphones and loudspeakers are the two most common methods of delivering spatial sound. Studies exploring ‘directional sound’ and ‘localization of sound’ through loudspeakers are still limited in numbers. This thesis seeks to contribute to the field of immersive technologies by researching cutting-edge methods for delivering spatial sound at a location. This thesis begins with an introduction to the research questions (Chapter 1). It later compares the sound delivery methods and the environment utilized to deliver the sound by previous researchers. This provides information on the number of sound sources required to deliver sound in both a real and 3D environment around the user (Chapter 2). It then investigates sound localization with headphones in a web-based 3D environment. This part of the study, for the first time, is entirely conducted online (Chapter 3). This thesis looks into acoustic metamaterials (AMM) and how they can be used to create unique sound experiences using a loudspeaker (Chapter 4). Following the realisation of the potential to engineer the properties of audible sound using AMM, a new method for focusing sound at a distance originating from a loudspeaker is discussed (Chapter 5). A sound localization test was conducted using this new method (Chapter 6). All the experiments in this thesis are validated using a user study. In conclusion, this thesis advances research into the various spatial sound delivery techniques currently used for location-based sound delivery. A technique for manipulating the properties of sound using AMM is proposed. Based on AMM, a new method for sound localization is designed and tested