Extracting a Definition and Taxonomy for Audio Augmented Reality (AAR) Using Grounded Theory

Abstract

The concept of Augmented Reality (AR) has evolved over the years since its inception in 1957. However, as of today, AR is mostly realized using a visual medium. Almost all applications of AR rely on the user’s ability to see. A few recent works have attempted to explore a new modality for AR–e.g., audio. However, the concept of using audio to augment reality has been considered debatable and there is no specific definition of the concept. To better understand this new concept, we launched a study using Grounded Theory to develop a definition and taxonomy for the concept of Audio Augmented Reality (AAR). This paper shares the preliminary results based on the activities conducted thus far, and hopes to generate discussion on using audio to augment reality within the Human Factors community.