Virtual Reality for Subjective Assessment of Sound Quality in Cars (original) (raw)

Automotive Audio Augmented Reality

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2020

Sound is everywhere. Manipulating complex sound material has never been so easy and achieved good quality audio has never been so accessible. In the broad variety of audio systems, automotive industry offers a very specific audio product which become the customer's choice criteria: Cars is becoming the best place to listen to music and offer outstanding / smart / emotional sound experiences through innovative technologies. In the meantime, augmented reality entertainment market is intensively growing in many fields. By combining auditory cues to reality, automotive audio augmented reality aims to extend the real world to propose a multisensorial object. By evolving toward electric, connected and autonomous vehicles, a new relationship is going to emerge between cars and their occupants. From entertainment to dynamic sound, acoustic experiences on board, experience will be immersive, proactive and contextual. This article proposes an exploration of audio augmented reality in the automotive fields from sound design to regulation with a focus on audio and NVH tools.

Interior Car Sound Simulation using Binaural Processing for Wave Field Synthesis Reproduction

2006

This paper proposes a spatial sound reproduction approach for subjective assessment of interior car sound. The sound reproduction is based on wave field synthesis technology (WFS). This technology enables holophonic audio reproduction and an enhanced immersion of the listener into a spatially extended sound field without using headphones. In past publications [15], [16], the basic principles of interior car sound simulations using WFS have been outlined. This paper gives technical details on implementations and proposes spatial processing approaches for a WFS reproduction compatible to existing binaural simulation environments for NVH engineering.

Realistic 3D Sound Simulation in the VIRTTEX Driving Simulator

Proceedings of DSC North America, 2003

Relatively inexpensive interactive 3D sound simulation systems can now be realized in driving simulators because of recent advances in binaural recording, PC-based sound simulation, and professional audio hardware components. Binaural recordings of sounds at the driver's position are easily acquired, largely due to increased focus by vehicle OEMs on customer satisfaction with vehicle sound quality. The recent explosion in popularity of PC-based multimedia games has led to cost-effective hardware and software methods to simulate effects such as Doppler shift, reverberation, and spatialization. The ever-expanding types of professional audio hardware components now make it easy to filter, mix, and route multi-channel audio data.

SUBJECTIVE COMPARISON BETWEEN STEREO DIPOLE AND 3D AMBISONIC SURROUND SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

1999

The paper describes the results of a subjective evaluation experiment: two methods for recording a three-dimensional sound field and for reproducing it through loudspeakers in a proper listening room are compared. The first method is the binaural method known as Stereo Dipole, based on digital filtering of binaural recordings or binaurally synthesized sound tracks: it allows for reproduction over a pair of closely-located loudspeakers. The second method is a software implementation of the well-known Ambisonics methodology, in which a B-format recording made with a Soundfield mic, or a synthesized B-format soundtrack, is reproduced over a 3D array of 8 loudspeakers. The subjective comparisons were made in a listening room fitted with 10 loudspeakers, and the listeners did not know at what of the two systems they were listening. Both reproduction systems were employed for blind evaluation of the sound field generated by audio systems of different cars.

Analyses on limitations of binaural sound based on the first order Ambisonics for virtual reality audio

2019

This paper analyzes the limitations of binaural sound that is reproduced with headphones based on Ambisonics for Virtual Reality (VR) audio. VR audio can be provided with binaural sound that compensates head rotation of a listener. Ambisonics is widely used for recording and reproducing ambient sound fields around a listener in VR audio, and the First order Ambisonics (FOA) is still being used for VR audio because of its simplicity. However, the maximum frequencies with this order is too low to perfectly reproduce ear signals, and thus the binaural reproduction has inherent limitations in terms of spectrum and sound localization. This paper investigates these limitations by comparing the signals arrived at ear positions in the reference field and the reproduced field. An incidence wave is defined as a reference field, and reproduced over virtual loudspeakers. Frequency responses, inter-aural level differences, and inter-aural phase differences are compared. The results show, above t...

Industry-oriented software-based system for quality evaluation of vehicle audio environments

IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2000

A new set of integrated software tools are proposed for the evaluation of vehicle audio quality for industrial purposes, taking advantage of the auralization approach that allows to simulate the binaural listening experience outside the cockpit. Two main cooperating tools are implemented. The first fulfills the function of acquiring relevant data for system modeling and for canceling the undesired effects of the acquisition chain. The second offers a user-friendly interface for real-time simulation of different car audio systems and the consequent evaluation of both objective and subjective performances. In the latter case, the listening procedure is directly experienced at the PC workplace, leading to a significant simplification of the audio-quality assessing task for comparing the selected systems. Moreover, such kind of subjective evaluation allowed to validate the proposed approach through a complete set of experiments (developed by means of a dedicated software environment) based on appropriate ITU recommendations.

Analysis of Binaural Technology and Surround Rendering for Headphones Reproduction

This research is based on the Binaural rendering from Surround sound. As Binaural and Surround systems are becoming more accurate and able to give a fully-immersive perception of sound through headphones, the importance of understanding how these systems work is necessary to better use, develop, and implement Binaural in the everyday routine. Binaural, its history, features and limitations has been analysed. Surround systems, such as 5.1 and Ambisonics, have been analysed and compared for Binaural Rendering purposes. Ambisonics has shown that its versatility and 360 degrees spatial audio characteristics can be used to accurately render Binaural signals.

Quality Measurement and Evaluation of Vehicle Audio Systems

2000

This paper presents a new integrated set of software tools for obtaining both objective and subjective evaluations of car audio systems using a single session of recording with a mannequin in the cockpit. This system can be an important aid for the design of more effective car audio systems, especially loudspeaker subsystems. The tools implement a fully automated stimulation, acquisition

Construction of a car stereo audio quality index

2012

A measurable index ("IQSB") quantifying perceived quality of car stereos has been developed, to forecast aural appreciation. Results of panel interviews and listening tests (in a special "auralisation room") have been correlated with the analysis of corresponding binaural recordings. Two outputs were obtained. First, a model of the subjectively most relevant features was identified, in terms of statistically significant "verbal descriptors". Second, a single-figure index was constructed, function of objective measurable quantities related with audio performance, and well correlating with the average verbal evaluation (both of "naïve" and "expert" listeners). This tool is of great importance for the automotive industry, because it allows for the direct quantification of the audio system performance, significant part of the perceived quality of the product.