Ears on the hand: reaching 3D audio targets

Abstract

We studied the ability of right-handed participants to reach 3D audio targets with their right hand. Our immersive audio environment was based on the OpenAL library and Fastrak magnetic sensors for motion capture. Participants listen the target through a “virtual” listener linked to a sensor fixed either on the head or on the hand. We compare three experimental conditions in which the virtual listener is on the head, on the left hand, and on the right hand (that reach the target). We show that (1) participants are able to learn the task but (2) with a low success rate and high durations, (3) the individual levels of performance are very variable, (4) the best performances are achieved when the listener is on the right hand. Consequently, we concluded that our participants were able to learn to locate 3D audio sources even if their ears are transposed on their hand, but we found of behavioral differences between the three experimental conditions.