Task-oriented quantitative testing for synthesized 3-D auditory displays

Abstract

Current human machine interfaces in Navy systems which incorporate headphone listening fail to take full advantage of human binaural sensory processing capabilities. These interfaces can be improved by providing the capability to present multiple spatialized audio channels over headphones using technology which is available today. Before these changes are considered, quantitative testing must take place which addresses the task to be performed, and the impact the spatialization will have on the task. This poster will describe a testing system for quantifying the effects of 3-D audio spatialization on a detection and classification problem similar in important ways to a sonar operator's task.