The post Sound of Vision at the 142nd AES Convention appeared first on Sound of Vision.

in: Proceedings of the 142nd Convention of the Audio Engineering Society
Abstract: Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) are frequently used in virtual audio scene rendering in order to simulate sound sources at different spatial locations. The use of dummy-head HRTFs (also referred as generic sets) is often criticized because of poor localization performance, leading to, e.g., lower spatial resolution, in-the-head localization, front-back reversals, etc. This paper presents results of horizontal plane localization obtained by digital filter representations of dummy-head HRTFs that were recorded normally and using additional cap, glasses, and hair on the head. Results of untrained subjects over equalized reference headphones showed no significant difference among the HRTF sets despite of large magnitude differences. This method for customization of generic HRTFs fails if improvement in localization is needed.

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The post Comparison of HRTFs from a Dummy-Head Equipped with Hair, Cap, and Glasses in a Virtual Audio Listening Task over Equalized Headphones appeared first on Sound of Vision.

in: Proceedings of the 142nd Convention of the Audio Engineering Society
Abstract: Capabilities of the auditory memory system were tested in a serious game application developed for the Android mobile platform. Participants played the well-known game of finding pairs by flipping and remembering objects on cards arranged in a matrix structure. Visual objects were replaced by iconic auditory events (auditory icons, earcons). Total time and different error rates were recorded and the effect of training was also evaluated. Results indicate that training contributes to a better performance and human voice samples are the easiest to remember.

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The post Evaluation of Training to Improve Auditory Memory Capabilities on a Mobile Device Based on a Serious Game Application appeared first on Sound of Vision.

in: Proceedings of the 142nd Convention of the Audio Engineering Society
Abstract: This paper focuses on auditory sensory substitution for providing visually impaired users with suitable information in both static scene recognition and dynamic obstacle avoidance. We introduce three different sonification models together with three temporal presentation schemes, i.e., ways of temporally organizing the sonic events in order to provide suitable information. Following an overview of the motivation and challenges behind each of the solutions, we describe their implementation and an evaluation of their relative strengths and weaknesses based on a set of experiments in a virtual environment.

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The post Usability and Effectiveness of Auditory Sensory Substitution Models for the Visually Impaired appeared first on Sound of Vision.

The post Dr. Kyriaki Kalimeri is invited speaker at the ACM International Conference on Multimedia Retrieval appeared first on Sound of Vision.

The post Sound of Vision present at DAGA17 appeared first on Sound of Vision.

in: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 769-787, 2016
Abstract: An exciting possibility for compensating for loss of sensory function is to augment deficient senses by conveying missing information through an intact sense. Here we present an overview of techniques that have been developed for sensory substitution (SS) for the blind, through both touch and audition, with special emphasis on the importance of training for the use of such devices, while highlighting potential pitfalls in their design. One example of a pitfall is how conveying extra information about the environment risks sensory overload. Related to this, the limits of attentional capacity make it important to focus on key information and avoid redundancies. Also, differences in processing characteristics and bandwidth between sensory systems severely constrain the information that can be conveyed. Furthermore, perception is a continuous process and does not involve a snapshot of the environment. Design of sensory substitution devices therefore requires assessment of the nature of spatiotemporal continuity for the different senses. Basic psychophysical and neuroscientific research into representations of the environment and the most effective ways of conveying information should lead to better design of sensory substitution systems. Sensory substitution devices should emphasize usability, and should not interfere with other inter- or intramodal perceptual function. Devices should be task-focused since in many cases it may be impractical to convey too many aspects of the environment. Evidence for multisensory integration in the representation of the environment suggests that researchers should not limit themselves to a single modality in their design. Finally, we recommend active training on devices, especially since it allows for externalization, where proximal sensory stimulation is attributed to a distinct exterior object.

Download link:  rnn201634-5rnn-34-5-rnn160647rnn-34-rnn160647.pdf (47 downloads) (article is open-access on publisher website).

The post Designing sensory-substitution devices: Principles, pitfalls and potential appeared first on Sound of Vision.

The post HRTF customization research at the University of Iceland appeared first on Sound of Vision.

The post Scientific Presentation at the International Conference on Multimodal Interaction 2016 held in Tokyo appeared first on Sound of Vision.

in: 18th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction
Abstract: This paper presents a multimodal framework for assessing the emotional and cognitive experience of blind and visually impaired people when navigating in unfamiliar indoor environments based on mobile monitoring and fusion of electroencephalography (EEG) and electrodermal activity (EDA) signals. The overall goal is to understand which environmental factors increase stress and cognitive load in order to help design emotionally intelligent mobility technologies that are able to adapt to stressful environments from real-time biosensor data. We propose a model based on a random forest classifier which successfully infers in an automatic way (weighted AUROC 79.3%) the correct environment among five predefined categories expressing generic everyday situations of varying complexity and difficulty, where different levels of stress are likely to occur. Time-locating the most predictive multimodal features that relate to cognitive load and stress, we provide further insights into the relationship of specific biomarkers with the environmental/situational factors that evoked them.

Download link:  p53-kalimeri.pdf (180 downloads)

The post Exploring Multimodal Biosignal Features for Stress Detection during Indoor Mobility appeared first on Sound of Vision.