Design of spatialized audio in nomadic environments

Abstract

This paper describes an on-going research project at the MIT Media Lab, exploring the use of audio as a primary modality for nomadic computing applications. We are developing a framework for use on a wearable audio platform, Nomadic Radio, that presents dynamic information within a spatialized audio environment. The contextual state of the nomadic listener indicated by time of day, physical positioning, scheduled tasks, message content, and level of interruption is used to present relevant information in the user's listening space. In this paper we will consider issues related to auditory presentation and spatial techniques for awareness and browsing of audio messages on wearable computing.