Comparison between individualization methods of spatialization for bone conducted sound in navigation task for walking subjects

Abstract

Recent work in human-machine interaction and audiology has indicated the effectiveness of using spatialized bone conduction (BC) hearing in augmented reality (AR) environments. For broader applications, individualization methods are preferred, as they require simpler computation and measurement, despite the fact that spatial hearing for BC is not yet well investigated at individual levels. Accordingly, this study examines different individualization techniques for spatial audio using BC applied to a navigation task with a moving virtual sound object in external noise, which simulates a common situation in AR environments. The tested methods include one based on individually measured head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), generic HRTFs, and a modified version based on these. Subjects are instructed to follow a virtual sound source presented from the BC headphones while walking. The virtual sound source is updated so that the source is located ahead of the subject according to the subject’s location and h...