Sound Source Direction Estimation Research Articles

Holographic signal processing for estimation of sound source direction by a vector receiver in shallow water

A holographic signal processing method for estimation of sound source direction of broadband moving sound source is proposed in the paper. The holographic estimation of sound source direction is based on signal processing of single vector receiver (VR) channels: x-th and y-th components of the oscillatory velocity. The sound field of a moving sound source creates a stable interference pattern of the intensity distribution (interferogram) in the frequency-time domain on VR channels. The two-dimensional Fourier transformation (2D-FT) is applied to analyze the channels interferograms. The result of the 2D-FT are holograms of the x-th and y-th oscillatory velocity components. The angle distributions of channels holograms are calculated. The offered holographic method is based on the ratio of the absolute values of the holograms angle distributions maxima. The expressions for VR channels holograms are derived. The results of the numerical experiment for source direction reconstruction are presented. A significant advantage of the proposed holographic method that there is no need for information about noise signal source, the additive noise obstacle and waveguide transfer function. [This study was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant no. 22-79-10233. Tkachenko’s numerical experiment was supported by grant no. МК-4846.2022.4.]

Human-mimetic binaural ear design and sound source direction estimation for task realization of musculoskeletal humanoids

Human-like environment recognition by musculoskeletal humanoids is important for task realization in real complex environments and for use as dummies for test subjects. Humans integrate various sensory information to perceive their surroundings, and hearing is particularly useful for recognizing objects out of view or out of touch. In this research, we aim to realize human-like auditory environmental recognition and task realization for musculoskeletal humanoids by equipping them with a human-like auditory processing system. Humans realize sound-based environmental recognition by estimating directions of the sound sources and detecting environmental sounds based on changes in the time and frequency domain of incoming sounds and the integration of auditory information in the central nervous system. We propose a human mimetic auditory information processing system, which consists of three components: the human mimetic binaural ear unit, which mimics human ear structure and characteristics, the sound source direction estimation system, and the environmental sound detection system, which mimics processing in the central nervous system. We apply it to Musashi, a human mimetic musculoskeletal humanoid, and have it perform tasks that require sound information outside of view in real noisy environments to confirm the usefulness of the proposed methods.

Performance evaluation of multiple sound source direction estimation devices by FFT analysis using two microphones

Performance evaluation of multiple sound source direction estimation devices by FFT analysis using two microphones

A Novel Combined System of Direction Estimation and Sound Zooming of Multiple Speakers

This article presents a new system for estimat- ing the direction of multiple speakers and zooming the sound of one of them at a time. The proposed system is a combina- tion of two levels; namely, sound source direction estimation, and acoustic zooming. The sound source direction estima- tion uses the so-called energetic analysis method for estimat- ing the direction of multiple speakers, whereas the acoustic zooming is based on modifying the parameters of the direc- tional audio coding (DirAC) in order to zoom the sound of a selected speaker among the others. Both listening tests and objective assessments are performed to evaluate this system using different time-frequency transforms.

파리의 청각 구조를 이용한 음원 방향 검지용 센서 설계

The technique for estimation of sound source direction is one of the important methods necessary for various engineering fields such as monitoring system, military services and so on. As a new approach for estimation of sound source direction, this paper propose the bio-mimetic localization sensor based on mechanically coupling structure motivated by hearing structure of fly, Ormia Ochracea. This creature is known for its outstanding recognition ability to the sound which has large wavelength compared to its own size. ITTF (Inter-Tympanal Transfer Function) which is the transfer function between displacements of the tympanal membranes on each side has the all inter-tympanal information dependent on sound direction. The peak and notch features of desired ITTF can be generated by using the appropriate mechanical properties. A example of estimation of sound source direction using generated ITTF with monotonically changing notch and peak patterns is shown.

An embedded audio–visual tracking and speech purification system on a dual-core processor platform

Design of an embedded audio–visual tracking and speech purification system is described in this paper. The system is able to perform human face tracking, voice activity detection, sound source direction estimation, and speech enhancement in real-time. Estimating the sound source directions helps to initialize the human face tracking module when the target changes the direction. The implementation architecture is based on an embedded dual-core processor, Texas Instruments DM6446 platform (Davinci), which contains an ARM core and a DSP core. For speech signal processing, an eight-channel digital microphone array is developed and the associated pre-processing and interfacing features are designed using the Altera Cyclone II FPGA. All the experiments are conducted in a real environment and the experimental results show that this system can execute all the audition and vision functions in real-time.

Sound source direction estimation based on subband peak-hold processing

Sound source direction estimation based on subband peak-hold processing

Localization of Sound Source Direction Using the Binaural Model

The direction of a generated sound source can be estimated by humans using the time difference between both ears and the characteristics of the sound. However, it is very difficult to create an estimation system using a computer and two microphones. Aims of this study are the achievement of three dimension sound localization with two microphones. We have developed the sound source direction estimation system, in which the sound source direction can be shown by two angles, the horizontal angle α and the vertical angle, β. The former is presumed from the difference of the arrival time when the sound progresses from the source to right and left ear, and the latter is presumed from spectrum correlation analysis using head related transfer function (HRTF). In this study, we propose a novel sound source direction estimation method, in which the feature difference of two recorded microphone signals is used. As a result, an average correct estimation rate of 96% was obtained in determining the location of 11 kinds of object sounds.

Tri-Dimension Sound Localization by Binaural Model Using Self Organizing Maps

A sound source direction can be estimated by humans using a time difference between both ears and how a sound is heard, when the sound is generated. However, it is very difficult to create an estimation system by using a computer and two microphones. In this study, we propose a novel sound source direction estimation method, in which the feature difference of observation signals obtained from the two microphones is used. The feature is learned based on the algorithm of the SOM (Self Organizing Maps) and the map of 3-D sound source direction is made. Furthermore, the five kinds of objects sound from each direction are used to conforming experiment and the correct answer rate 98.7% is obtained.

Estimation of sound source direction based on Gaussian model using envelope of interaural level difference

Estimation of sound source direction based on Gaussian model using envelope of interaural level difference

A three-dimensional sound intensity measurement system for sound source identification and sound power determination by ln models

This paper describes a full vector intensity probe which advances the field of sound intensity and sound source direction estimation using six matched rotating and variable directional microphones. The probe has three pairs of microphones at an equal spacing of 30 mm that are set up in each of the x, y, and z directions and share the same observation point. The calibration method using the rotating microphone system is effective to correct position errors in the y- and z-axes microphone pairs. Sound intensity measurements using the variable directional microphone method can locate with accuracy a sound source, i.e., the structure parts radiating most acoustic energy. The system can find the maximum sound intensity level and beamwidth of the major lobe, and the peak sound intensity levels of the minor lobes. Therefore, a procedure for sound power determination based on minimum measurement data is theoretically and experimentally discussed. Consequently, it is possible to reconstruct only parts of the system emitting the most noise and measure efficiently the sound power level.

Method and apparatus for concurrently estimating respective directions of a plurality of sound sources and for monitoring individual sound levels of respective moving sound sources

A method and apparatus enabling information including respective angular directions to be obtained for one or more sound sources includes a sound source direction estimation section for frequency-domain and time-domain processing of sets of output signals from a microphone array to derive successive estimated angular directions of each of the sound sources. The estimated directions can be utilized by a passage detection section to detect when a sound source is currently moving past the microphone array and the direction of the sound source at the time point when such passage detection is achieved, and a motion velocity detection section which is triggered by such passage detection to calculate the velocity of the passing sound source by using successively obtained estimated directions. In addition it becomes possible to produce directivity of the microphone array, oriented along the direction of a sound source which is moving past the microphone array, enabling accurate monitoring of sound levels of respective sound sources.

Performance of sound source direction estimation methods under reverberant conditions

Performance of sound source direction estimation methods under reverberant conditions

Performance of sound source direction estimation methods under reverberant conditions.

Performance of sound source direction estimation methods under reverberant conditions.

On the main algorithms and system-examples for beamforming : Sound source direction estimation by linear array

On the main algorithms and system-examples for beamforming : Sound source direction estimation by linear array

A Bayesian Approach for Sound Source Estimation

The goal of this study is to equip a mobile service robot with an ability to navigate to the human who commands the robot by speech. Based on time delay of arrival (TDOA) features, a Bayesian approach to sound source direction estimation is proposed. The method requires low computational complexity and is feasible for real-time robot navigation. Based on an experiment with various parameter settings in an indoor environment, different factors that affect the classification accuracy have been analyzed. The experiment results have illustrated that the proposed Bayesian method outperforms both that of the Microsoft Kinect sensor and the trigonometric approach in terms of classification accuracy.