Subjective Evaluation Experiments Research Articles

Subjective evaluation for sharp sound image construction based on reverberation control with surround sound system using parametric and electro-dynamic loudspeakers

3-D sound field reproduction systems can provide a high presence. These systems commonly use electro-dynamic loudspeakers. Electro-dynamic loudspeakers tend to construct diffuse sound images due to its wide directivity and high reverberation. In contrast, parametric array loudspeakers can construct sharp sound images due to its sharp directivity and low reverberation. On the other hand, it is difficult to provide reverberation presence by parametric array loudspeakers because of the sharp directivity. We have previously proposed a sharp sound image construction based on reverberation control with surround sound system using parametric and electro-dynamic loudspeakers. In this method, the sharp sound image is rendered using parametric array loudspeakers, and the reverberation presence is provided by electro-dynamic loudspeakers, emitting reverberation signals synthesized with reverberation control filters. Through the objective experiments, we have confirmed that this method can construct the sharp sound image with reverberation presence. In this paper, we conduct subjective experiments to confirm if the listeners can perceive the reverberation presence provided by the proposed method. In particular, we evaluated the sharpness and direction of the sound image, and the reverberation presence with objective and subjective evaluation experiments. From the subjective evaluation, we confirmed that the reverberation presence can be perceived.

Speaker performance on sports performance -Behavior analysis using OpenPose

Most of the sound quality evaluation methods for loudspeaker are based on physical evaluation and subjective evaluation. In the physical evaluation, we focus on the peak sound pressure and the rise speed. In the subjective evaluation, the sound quality is evaluated by the subjective evaluation experiment using the sound quality evaluation word. However, it's difficult for people who don't have professional knowledge in the field of acoustics to judge the performance of a loudspeaker from these evaluation methods. In addition, according to the engineers of a speaker manufacturer, the difference of the sound quality of the loudspeaker may affect the movement and motivation of the game. In this study, aims to evaluate the sound quality of loudspeaker objectively from a new point of view. In order to clarify whether the difference of the sound quality of the loudspeaker affects the movement, the movement analysis using OpenPose was carried out. As a result, it was found that the complicated motion was not likely to be affected by the difference of the sound quality of the loudspeaker. However, the results suggested that simple and familiar actions may be affected by the difference in loudspeaker sound quality.

Subjective evaluation of wind turbine noise using 3-dimensional audio- visual reproduction system

In recent years, the installation of new wind turbines has been promoted in Japan. Since wind turbines are often installed in quiet countryside, it is necessary to properly evaluate the noise impact of wind turbine installation. Since wind turbines are thought to have visual as well as auditory effects, we conducted a subjective evaluation experiment on the loudness and annoyance of wind turbine noise (WTN) and road traffic noise (RTN) by magnitude estimation method, using a three-dimensional audio-visual reproduction system consisting of 6 channels of loudspeakers installed around the sound receiving point and a dome screen. As a result, the loudness and annoyance of WTN tended to be evaluated higher than that of RTN. These results were considered to be influenced by the amplitude modulation called "swish sound" and the low-frequency dominant frequency characteristics, which are characteristics of WTN. In addition, when comparing the differences in loudness and annoyance with and without visual information, the two attributes tended to be lower when visual information was present.

Cross-modal association analysis and matching model construction of perceptual attributes of multiple colors and combined tones.

Audio-visual correlation is a common phenomenon in real life. In this article, aiming at analyzing the correlation between multiple colors and combined tones, we comprehensively used experimental methods and technologies such as experimental psychology methods, audio-visual information processing technology, and machine learning algorithms to study the correlation mechanism between the multi-color perceptual attributes and the interval consonance attribute of musical sounds, so as to construct an audio-visual cross-modal matching models. Specifically, in the first, this article constructed the multi-color perceptual attribute dataset through the subjective evaluation experiment, namely "cold/warm," "soft/hard," "transparent/turbid," "far/near," "weak/strong," pleasure, arousal, and dominance; and constructed the interval consonance attribute dataset based on calculating the audio objective parameters. Secondly, a subjective evaluation experiment of cross-modal matching was designed and carried out for analyzing the audio-visual correlation, so as to obtain the cross-modal matched and mismatched data between the audio-visual perceptual attributes. On this basis, through visual processing and correlation analysis of the matched and mismatched data, this article proved that there is a certain correlation between multicolor and combined tones from the perspective of perceptual attributes. Finally, this article used linear and non-linear machine learning algorithms to construct audio-visual cross-modal matching models, so as to realize the mutual prediction between the audio-visual perceptual attributes, and the highest prediction accuracy is up to 79.1%. The contributions of our research are: (1) The cross-modal matched and mismatched dataset can provide basic data support for audio-visual cross-modal research; (2) The constructed audio-visual cross-modal matching models can provide a theoretical basis for audio-visual interaction technology; (3) In addition, the research method of audio-visual cross-modal matching proposed in this article can provide new research ideas for related research.

SCENERY AND VIEWPOINT RESEARCH OF THE GARDEN OF MANPUKU-JI TEMPLE

The purpose of this study is to propose a landscape development method for Japanese gardens. To that end, I investigated the Manpuku-ji Garden, which is famous for being created by Sesshu. A subjective evaluation experiment was conducted with 53 subjects and 99 garden photographs, and 12 were identified in the corridor of Manpuku-ji Temple, on the Nure-en, 1 preferred viewpoint in the room, and 6 gazing areas.

Reproduction of Perceptual Translucency by Surface Texture in 3D Printing

We propose a method of reproducing perceptual translucency in three-dimensional printing. In contrast to most conventional methods, which reproduce the physical properties of translucency, we focus on the perceptual aspects of translucency. Humans are known to rely on simple cues to perceive translucency, and we develop a method of reproducing these cues using the gradation of surface textures. Textures are designed to reproduce the intensity distribution of the shading and thus provide a cue for the perception of translucency. In creating textures, we adopt computer graphics to develop an image-based optimization method. We validate the effectiveness of the method through subjective evaluation experiments using three-dimensionally printed objects. The results of the validation show that the proposed method using texture is effective in improving perceptual translucency.

Sensory Amount Measurement Experiment to Validate the Accuracy of the VAS Measurement Method

We have been researching subjective evaluation experiments using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The VAS, which marks the subject's subjective evaluation degree on a straight line, can express subjectivity more intuitively. This paper reports a trial of subjective evaluation of the human sense of brightness as basic research on how the VAS can accurately measure the human sense of color and brightness. In this study, we used VAS to determine where each gray image with different lightness corresponds on the grayscale. Numeric values obtained from this evaluation experiment were analyzed to confirm the individual's sensitivity characteristics. Moreover, it was examined whether the VAS accurately reflected the subjective view of the person by the answer of what percentage of the grayscale was by the numeric value input. To conduct experiments smoothly, we developed an app that simultaneously performs VAS measurements and numeric value input. We presented ten grayscale images to 13 subjects and obtained subjective measurements using this app. As a result, it was confirmed that when the lightness of the grayscale image is high, it can be recognized relatively accurately, but when the lightness is low, it tends to feel darker.

A Study on Impressions of Walking Motion

We investigate the impressions of two walking styles (good and poor posture). An optical motion capture system is used to measure the two walking styles, which are performed by a walking instructor. Furthermore, a subjective evaluation experiment is conducted to examine the impressions of the two walking styles. The results suggest that the impression of leg motions, in addition to the impression of the trunk posture, may influence the impressions of walking motion. Walking with good posture, in which a person keeps the trunk upright and clearly flexes and extends the knee and ankle joints, gives the impressions of "beautiful", "elegant", "attractive", and "healthy".

The Evaluation of Visual Clarity and Comfort of Light Environment in Multimedia Classroom

In order to clarify the quantitative relationship between students’ visual clarity, comfort, and environmental brightness in the light environment of multimedia classrooms in colleges and universities and obtain the threshold and influence trends of brightness, visual clarity, and visual comfort in the light environment of the multimedia classroom, this paper proposes the research on the relevant influence parameters of the light environment of the multimedia classroom. Based on the analysis of the current situation of multimedia use in China, this paper proposes taking brightness as the main parameter of indoor light environment evaluation to carry out students’ subjective evaluation experiments. The brightness range that can reflect the visual clarity and visual comfort of the experimenter is extracted by using multimedia combined with screen projection and HDRI technology. Finally, by analyzing the experimental data, combined with the operational definition of the psychophysical threshold, the functional relationship between visual clarity, comfort, and brightness in the light environment of a multimedia classroom is obtained through regression analysis and the threshold and extreme point data are calculated. The experimental results show that when the brightness range is 370.83 cd/m2 ≤ X ≤ 558.47 cd/m2, it has better visual clarity and visual comfort. When the brightness contrast is close to 10 : 1, the visual clarity is the highest; when the brightness contrast is close to 5 : 1, the visual comfort is the highest and decreases on both sides with the change in its value. Conclusion. The results of this experimental study can provide a basis for formulating and revising relevant laws and regulations in the future and provide a reference for the light environment design of multimedia classrooms in China.

Attribute analysis and modeling of color harmony based on multi-color feature extraction in real-life scenes.

Color harmony is the focus of many researchers in the field of art and design, and its research results have been widely used in artistic creation and design activities. With the development of signal processing and artificial intelligence technology, new ideas and methods are provided for color harmony theory and color harmony calculation. In this article, psychological experimental methods and information technology are combined to design and quantify the 16-dimensional physical features of multiple colors, including multi-color statistical features and multi-color contrast features. Eighty-four subjects are invited to give a 5-level score on the degree of color harmony for 164 multi-color materials selected from the screenshots of film and television scenes. Based on the multi-color physical features and the subjective evaluation experiment, the correlation analysis is firstly carried out, which shows that the overall lightness, difference of the color tones, number of multiple colors, lightness contrast, color tone contrast, and cool/warm contrast are significantly correlated with color harmony. On the other hand, the regression prediction model and classification prediction model of color harmony are constructed based on machine learning algorithms. In terms of regression prediction model, the prediction accuracy of linear models is higher than that of nonlinear models, with 63.9% as the highest, indicating that the multi-color physical features can explain color harmony well. In terms of classification prediction model, the Random Forest (RF) has the best prediction performance, with an accuracy of 80.2%.

A human-in-the-loop haptic interaction with subjective evaluation

To date, one of the challenges in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is fully immersive multisensory remote physical interaction technologies. The applications of haptic perception in HCI can enrich the interaction details and effectively improve the immersion and realism of interaction. In the human-in-the-loop haptic interaction system, the quality of experience (QoE) of the human operator plays an essential role. However, QoE in haptic interaction is still in its infancy. Based on the typical application scenarios of haptic operation, the paper constructs a haptic-visual interaction framework and analyzes the QoE influencing factors. Through subjective evaluation experiments, the paper establishes a haptic interaction database that can provide a research basis for further exploring the relationship between various influencing factors and interactive QoE.

Optimal Research in Piano Shape Sound and Sound Propagation Model Based on Nonlinear Differential Equations

Abstract Nonlinear differential equations are being used in many applied science fields such as engineering, there are more and more applications, such as musical instrumentation, chemistry, aerodynamics, cybernetics, signal and image processing, biophysics, complex media dynamics, etc. Mainly based on the analysis of the vibration and attenuation characteristics of piano strings, and on the theoretical basis of the discussion on the resonance effect of the resonance system, the model of the piano music simulation system is constructed, investigated a class of fractional nonlinear differential (integrative-differential) equations and systems of equations, fractional nonlinear differential equations on unbounded domains, and with multiple different fractional derivatives, and the existence of solutions to integral nonlinear impulse differential equations, uniqueness, multiple solutions, eigenvalue interval, as well as monotonic iterative sequences and error estimates that converge to the solutions of the corresponding equations. Finally, from the pitch frequency detection, formant point frequency estimation, and three aspects of spectrogram analysis, subjective evaluation experiments are carried out on the algorithm, and the experimental results verify the effectiveness of musical simulation.

Comparison and Analysis of Timbre Fusion for Chinese and Western Musical Instruments.

Timbre fusion is the theoretical basis of instrument acoustics and Chinese and Western orchestral acoustics. Currently, studies on timbre fusion are mainly focused on Western instruments, but there are some studies on the timbre fusion of Chinese instruments. In this paper, the characteristics of timbre fusion for Chinese and Western instruments are explored, focusing on the subjective attributes and objective acoustic parameters, and a series of experiments is carried out. First, a database containing 518 mixed timbre stimuli of Chinese and Western instruments was constructed to provide basic data that are necessary for the subjective and objective analyses of timbre fusion. We designed and conducted a subjective evaluation experiment of timbre perception attributes based on the method of successive categories. The experimental data were processed using statistical approaches, such as variance analysis, multidimensional preference analysis, and correlation analysis, and we studied the influence of the temporal envelopes and instrument types on fusion, segregation, roughness, and pleasantness. In addition, the differences between Chinese and Western instruments were compared based on these four perception attributes. The results show that fusion and segregation are the most important attributes for Chinese instrument timbre, while roughness is the most important attribute for Western instrument timbre. In addition, multiple linear regression, random forest, and multilayer perceptron were used to construct a set of timbre fusion models for Chinese and Western instruments. The results show that these models can better predict the timbre fusion attributes. It was also found that there are some differences between the timbre fusion models for Chinese and Western instruments, which is consistent with the analysis results of subjective experimental data. The contribution of acoustic objective parameters to the fusion model is also discussed.

An Evaluation Model for the Comfort of Vehicle Intelligent Cockpits Based on Passenger Experience

With the development of intelligence and network connectivity, the development of the automotive industry is also moving toward intelligent systems. For passengers, the utility of intelligence is to achieve more convenience and comfort. The intelligent cockpit is the place where passengers directly interact with the car, which directly affects the experience of passengers in the car. For the intelligent cockpits that have emerged in recent years, a reasonable and accurate comfort evaluation model is urgently needed. Therefore, in this article, from the passenger’s perspective, a subjective evaluation experiment was set up to collect data on four important indicators affecting the comfort of the intelligent cockpit: sound, light, heat, and human–computer interaction. The subjective evaluation weights were derived from a questionnaire, and the entropy weighting method was used to obtain the objective weights. Finally, the two weights were combined using the idea of game theory combination assignment to get the final accurate weights. Using the idea of penalty type substitution, the four index models were then synthesized to get the final evaluation model. The feasibility of the model was verified when measuring the car cockpit. The feasibility of the method means it can evaluate the comfort level of an intelligent cockpit more reasonably, facilitate the enhancement and improvement of the model, and promote the development of the model to achieve maximum passenger comfort.

35‐3: The Measurement Method of Halo: Halo Length, Angular Halo

Recently the customers have chances to experience the images of new types of displays such as OLED, QD Display, and Mini LED LCD. However, the numbers measured by traditional methods may be less relevance to the users' experiences. Contrast and its variance depending on the viewing angle are important factors of display image quality. Although users normally perceive the contrast when black and white patterns appear together on the screen, the exiting method calculates the contrast ratio by measuring patterns separately. In this study, we suggest the new assessments on contrast ratio and viewing angle that reflect the users' perceived image quality. These are based on halation of IDMS which uses the patterns that black and white appear simultaneously [1]. Moreover, we conduct the subjective evaluation experiment in order to verify the new assessment. As a result, the suggested assessments explained well users' experience on contrast ratio. It is also confirmed the higher the number of local dimming zones, the better the experience of image quality for consumers.

Suppression and analysis on annoyance of motor vehicle noise using water sound injection

Different from the traditional noise control approaches based on sound energy reduction, this study focuses on the annoyance suppression of motor vehicle noise based on audio injection. Firstly, eight motor vehicle noises were selected as the target sounds and three different controllable sounds were used to overlap with different signal-to-noise ratios. Then absolute threshold and combined sound annoyance subjective evaluation experiment were carried out to obtain absolute threshold range and the existence zone of "destructive effect" for combined noise annoyance. Next the influencing factors of the destructive effect are analyzed. The results of the study found that the identifiability of the target sound and the controllable sound is important to the selection of the controllable sound. For most target sounds with high identifiability, the controllable sound with high identifiability and high SNR should be selected. For most target sounds with low identifiability, the controllable sound with low identifiability and low SNR should be selected. Moreover, after the addition of optimal controllable sound, the descend value of the annoyance degree of the target sound with high identifiability is lower than that of the target sound with low identifiability. The results will also provide guidance for the research on audio injection effects, physical mechanisms, the controllable sound selection and optimization design.

Evaluating the Influence of ipRGCs on Color Discrimination.

To investigate the influence of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) on color discrimination, it is necessary to create two metameric light stimuli (metameric ipRGC stimuli) with the same amount of cone and rod stimulation, but different amounts of ipRGC stimulation. However, since the spectral sensitivity functions of cones and rods overlap with those of ipRGCs in a wavelength band, it has been difficult to independently control the amount of stimulation of ipRGCs only. In this study, we first propose a method for calculating metameric ipRGC stimulation based on the orthogonal basis functions of human photoreceptor cells. Then, we clarify the controllable range of metameric ipRGC stimulation within a color gamut. Finally, to investigate the color discrimination by metameric ipRGC stimuli, we conduct subjective evaluation experiments on 24 chromaticity coordinates using a multispectral projector. The results reveal a correlation between differences in the amount of ipRGC stimulation and differences in color appearance, indicating that ipRGCs may influence color discrimination.

Quality of 8K Ultra-High-Definition Television Viewing Experience in Practical Viewing Conditions

In this study, we examine the psychological effects of 8K ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV) under daily TV viewing conditions. The design of 8K-UHDTV targets the realization of the “ultimate 2D image.” 8K-UHDTV is already being used practically and the audience have reported experiencing a feeling of reality and presence. However, the benefits offered by 8K for daily TV viewing and the degree to which the design goals have been achieved have not been sufficiently verified. Hence, in this study, we verify them by investigating the popular impressions evoked by familiar images and their modulation with the viewing distance through subjective evaluation experiments and statistical analysis. The obtained results indicate that the impressions are enhanced by increasing the resolution from 4K to 8K, even at viewing distances beyond the design viewing distance, which are conventionally considered less effective. Thus, they confirm that 8K provides strong impressions over a wide viewing range. Furthermore, the relationship between higher-order impressions, such as “being-there” and “reality,” and lower-order impressions is derived through multiple regression analysis. This provides insight into the enhancement of higher-order impressions in production and post-processing.

Texture Management for Glossy Objects Using Tone Mapping.

In this paper, we proposed a method for matching the color and glossiness of an object between different displays by using tone mapping. Since displays have their own characteristics, such as maximum luminance and gamma characteristics, the color and glossiness of an object when displayed differs from one display to another. The color can be corrected by conventional color matching methods, but the glossiness, which greatly changes the impression of an object, needs to be corrected. Our practical challenge was to use tone mapping to correct the high-luminance part, also referred to as the glossy part, which cannot be fully corrected by color matching. Therefore, we performed color matching and tone mapping using high dynamic range images, which can record a wider range of luminance information as input. In addition, we varied the parameters of the tone-mapping function and the threshold at which the function was applied to study the effect on the object’s appearance. We conducted a subjective evaluation experiment using the series category method on glossy-corrected images generated by applying various functions to each display. As a result, we found that the differences in glossiness between displays could be corrected by selecting the optimal function for each display.

A comparison of non-experts and experts using DSIS method

Subjective evaluations are necessary to learn how expected viewers perceive the quality of a system. Traditionally, non-expert subjective tests are preferred rather than expert tests. In this study, we conducted subjective evaluation experiments for non-experts and experts on compressed 8K videos using the double stimulus impairment scale (DSIS) method and analyzed the experimental results expressed in terms of the mean opinion score (MOS), which is the average of individual scores. Furthermore, we investigated the differences between non-experts and experts by considering a new method in P.913 that estimates an improved MOS and a new experimental method using experts, called expert viewing protocol (EVP). Our contribution shows advantages of conducting expert subjective tests, such as EVP: expert tests allow to perform experiments with fewer subjects, to distinguish between original and distorted images, to determine a lower threshold for the image quality, to distribute scores in an appropriate range, and to constantly gain MOS values equal to improved MOS values.