Perceiving acoustic source orientation in three-dimensional space

Abstract

In virtual environments and auditory displays accurate representation of the simulated location and relative distance of a sound source can enhance the effectiveness of the display. However, in addition to having a physical location, many sound sources also project sound directionally. The ability of listeners to determine the facing direction (or facing angle) of unidirectional sound sources has been studied very little. In two experiments listeners estimated the facing angle of a unidirectional loudspeaker. In Experiment 1 listeners estimated the static directional orientation while blindfolded. In Experiment 2 listeners were given dynamic rotational cues prior to making judgments of orientation. The results show a significant advantage in perceiving facing angle when dynamic cues are present. Listeners were also significantly better at perceiving loudspeaker facing angle when closer to the source and when the loudspeaker was directly facing the listener.