High performance 3D sound localization for surveillance applications

One of the key features of the human auditory system, is its nearly constant omni-directional sensitivity, e.g., the system reacts to alerting signals coming from a direction away from the sight of focused visual attention. In many surveillance situations where visual attention completely fails since the robot cameras have no direct line of sight with the sound sources, the ability to estimate the direction of the sources of danger relying on sound becomes extremely important. We present in this paper a novel method for sound localization in azimuth and elevation based on a humanoid head. The method was tested in simulations as well as in a real reverberant environment. Compared to state-of-the-art localization techniques the method is able to localize with high accuracy 3D sound sources even in the presence of reflections and high distortion

High performance 3D sound localization for surveillance applications

One of the key features of the human auditory system, is its nearly constant omni-directional sensitivity, e.g., the system reacts to alerting signals coming from a direction away from the sight of focused visual attention. In many surveillance situations where visual attention completely fails since the robot cameras have no direct line of sight with the sound sources, the ability to estimate the direction of the sources of danger relying on sound becomes extremely important. We present in this paper a novel method for sound localization in azimuth and elevation based on a humanoid head. The method was tested in simulations as well as in a real reverberant environment. Compared to state-of-the-art localization techniques the method is able to localize with high accuracy 3D sound sources even in the presence of reflections and high distortion

Intergenerational and cross-cultural differences in emotional wellbeing, mental health service utilisation, treatment-seeking preferences and acceptability of psychological treatments for Arab Australians

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the intergenerational and cross-cultural differences in emotional wellbeing and acceptability of psychological treatments for Arab Australians. AIM: To contribute to the emerging data about the mental health status and needs of Arab Australians. METHOD: An Internet survey examined psychological distress and functional impairment as measured by the Kessler 10 Item scale (K-10) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) among Arab Australians. Additional questions enquired about their help-seeking behaviours, barriers to accessing psychological treatments and preferences for delivery of psychological treatments. A total of 252 participants were recruited through public talks, media and online promotions. RESULTS: Forty-three percent of the respondents reported moderate-to-severe functional impairment (M = 9.5; standard deviation (SD) = 1.8), 32% reported high psychological distress (M = 28.5; SD = 5.4) and 30% were born overseas. First-generation Arab Australians experiencing high psychological distress (i.e. K-10 ≥ 22), reported a greater preference for Internet-delivered treatment when compared to their second-generation counterparts. Only 18% of the sample reported seeking help from a mental health professional in the past year. The significant barriers reported by respondents with high psychological distress were poor mental health literacy, lack of time and stigma. Respondents preferred face-to-face (90%) over Internet-delivered treatment (55%). Finally, Arab Australians experienced higher psychological distress and underutilised mental health services when compared to the Australian population. CONCLUSION: Targeted public health campaigns that make culturally relevant interventions such as modifying existing Internet-delivered treatment for Arab Australians may reduce barriers and increase treatment options for this population.8 page(s

Influence of varied human movement control on task performance and feeling of telepresence

One of the main objectives in telerobotics is the development of a telemanipulation system that allows a high task performance to be achieved by simultaneously providing a high degree of telepresence. Specific mechatronic design guidelines and appropriate control algorithms as well as augmented visual, auditory, and haptic feedback systems are typical approaches adopted in this context. This work aims at formulating new design guidelines by incorporating human factors in the development process and analyzing the effects of varied human movement control on task performance and on the feeling of telepresence. While it is well known that humans are able to coordinate and integrate multiple degrees of freedom (DOF), the focus of this work is on how humans utilize rotational degrees of freedom provided by a human-system interface and if and how varied human movement control affects task performance and the feeling of telepresence. For this analysis, a telemanipulation experiment with varying degrees of freedom has been conducted. The results indicate that providing the full range of movement, even though this range is not necessary to accomplish a task, has a beneficial effect on the feeling of telepresence and task performance in terms of measured interaction forces. Further, increasing visual depth cues provided to the human operator also had a positive effect. © 2010 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A Sparsity-Based Approach to 3D Binaural Sound Synthesis Using Time-Frequency Array Processing

Localization of sounds in physical space plays a very important role in multiple audio-related disciplines, such as music, telecommunications, and audiovisual productions. Binaural recording is the most commonly used method to provide an immersive sound experience by means of headphone reproduction. However, it requires a very specific recording setup using high-fidelity microphones mounted in a dummy head. In this paper, we present a novel processing framework for binaural sound recording and reproduction that avoids the use of dummy heads, which is specially suitable for immersive teleconferencing applications. The method is based on a time-frequency analysis of the spatial properties of the sound picked up by a simple tetrahedral microphone array, assuming source sparseness. The experiments carried out using simulations and a real-time prototype confirm the validity of the proposed approach