Download Audio-Tactile Glove This paper introduces the Audio-Tactile Glove, an experimental tool for the analysis of vibrotactile feedback in instrument design. Vibrotactile feedback provides essential information in the operation of acoustic instruments. The Audio-Tactile Glove is designed as a research tool for the investigation of the various techniques used to apply this theory to digital interfaces. The user receives vibrations via actuators distributed throughout the glove, located so as not to interrupt the physical contact required between user and interface. Using this actuator array, researchers will be able to independently apply vibrotactile information to six stimulation points across each hand exploiting the broad frequency range of the device, with specific sensitivity within the haptic frequency range of the hand. It is proposed that researchers considering the inclusion of vibrotactile feedback in existing devices can utilize this device without altering their initial designs.
Download B-Format Acoustic Impulse Response Measurement and Analysis In the Forest at Koli National Park, Finland Acoustic impulse responses are used for convolution based auralisation and reverberation techniques for a range of applications, such as music production, sound design and virtual reality systems. These impulse responses can be measured in real world environments to provide realistic and natural sounding reverberation effects. Analysis of this data can also provide useful information about the acoustic characteristics of a particular space. Currently, impulse responses recorded in outdoor conditions are not widely available for surround sound auralisation and research purposes. This work presents results from a recent acoustic survey of measurements at three locations in the snow covered forest of Koli National Park in Finland during early spring. Acoustic impulse responses were measured using a B-format Soundfield microphone and a single loudspeaker. The results are analysed in terms of reverberation and spatial characteristics. The work is part of a larger study to collect and investigate acoustic impulse responses from a variety of outdoor locations under different climatic conditions.
Download Real-Time Dynamic Image-Source Implementation For Auralisation This paper describes a software package for auralisation in interactive virtual reality environments. Its purpose is to reproduce, in real time, the 3D soundfield within a virtual room where listener and sound sources can be moved freely. Output sound is presented binaurally using headphones. Auralisation is based on geometric acoustic models combined with head-related transfer functions (HRTFs): the direct sound and reflections from each source are computed dynamically by the image-source method. Directional cues are obtained by filtering these incoming sounds by the HRTFs corresponding to their propagation directions relative to the listener, computed on the basis of the information provided by a head-tracking device. Two interactive real-time applications were developed to demonstrate the operation of this software package. Both provide a visual representation of listener (position and head orientation) and sources (including image sources). One focusses on the auralisation-visualisation synchrony and the other on the dynamic calculation of reflection paths. Computational performance results of the auralisation system are presented.