Auralisation is a process of audio simulation that enables different acoustic environments to be demonstrated without them needing to be physically present or constructed. The aim of auralisation is to provide a high degree of engineering accuracy, so that if the one was placed in the physical acoustic environment, there would ideally be no subjective difference between the auralised scenario and reality.
AiHear® is a virtual reality auralisation app (for Apple devices) that can simulate various acoustic properties of a room, including reverberation, sound insulation and background noise,through headphones. The developers of the app, Norman Disney & Young, are interested in studying people’s subjectiveperception of rooms simulated in the app, compared to matching physical rooms upon which the simulations are based. A survey of participants is to be undertaken to compare their subjective response to audio samples captured in real rooms with samples processed entirely through the AiHear® auralisation engine.
Key features of this project will include:
• Taking binaural audio recordings inside real rooms using a Head and Torso Simulator (Kemar) • Modelling those rooms in AiHear® and recording the auralisation audio output • Designing a survey to assess similarities/differences/preferences between the auralised and real room audio samples
Project outcomes
• Survey results showing any similarities/differences/preferences between the auralised and real rooms • Possible suggestions to improve correlation in people’s perception between the auralisation and real room subjective responses
Confidentiality
Some findings may be confidential.
Acoustical Society of New Zealand Best Student Project Prize: $500
This project is eligible to be judged for a prize of $500 NZD from the Acoustical Society of New Zealand for the best student project. Judging will occur during the project presentation at the end of the year.
Industry Sponsorship
This project will receive industry sponsorship from Norman Disney & Young.
Names of co-supervisors:
• Andrew Hall – University of Auckland • George Dodd – University of Auckland • Tim Beresford – Norman Disney & Young
Undergraduate
None
Acoustics Lab (City 422.154, Lab)