Search Results (19)

This study proposes a practical and systematic methodology for identifying and characterizing magnetically induced noise in Column Electric Power Steering (CEPS) systems through vehicle-level testing. A coil sensor mounted on the Electric Power Steering (EPS) motor was employed to capture induced voltage signals during steering maneuvers, providing a real-time tachometric reference for order-tracking analysis. In-vehicle acoustic measurements conducted with a binaural headset revealed dominant magnetic harmonics—most notably the 24th order associated with rotor–stator interaction—and their higher-order components. To validate these observations under controlled conditions, complementary experiments were performed in a semi-anechoic chamber. Additionally, structural dynamic properties were evaluated through impact testing to distinguish electromagnetic excitations from mechanical resonances. The proposed methodology demonstrates a cost-effective and accurate approach for assessing the Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) characteristics of EPS systems, facilitating design optimization and noise mitigation without the need for extensive instrumentation or full-vehicle prototype testing. Full article

In the context of ear-based biometric identity authentication, symmetry between the left and right ears emerges as a pivotal factor, particularly when registration involves one ear and authentication utilizes its contralateral counterpart. The extent to which bilateral ear symmetry supports consistent identity verification warrants significant investigation. This study addresses this challenge by proposing a novel framework, the Symmetry Alignment–Feature Interaction Network, designed to enhance authentication robustness. The proposed network incorporates a Symmetry Alignment Module, leveraging differentiable geometric alignment and a dual-attention mechanism to achieve precise feature correspondence between the left and right ears, thereby mitigating the robustness deficiencies of conventional methods under pose variations. Additionally, a Feature Interaction Network is introduced to amplify nonlinear interdependencies between binaural features, employing a difference–product dual-path architecture to enhance feature discriminability through Dual-Path Feature Interaction and Similarity Fusion. Experimental validation on a dataset from the University of Science and Technology of Beijing demonstrates that the proposed method achieves a similarity detection accuracy of 99.03% (a 9.11% improvement over the baseline ResNet18) and an F1 score of 0.9252 in identity authentication tasks. Ablation experiments further confirm the efficacy of the Symmetry Alignment Module, reducing the false positive rate by 3.05%, in combination with the Feature Interaction Network, shrinking the standard deviation of similarity distributions between the positive and negative samples by 67%. A multi-task loss function, governed by a dynamic weighting mechanism, effectively balances feature learning objectives. This work establishes a new paradigm for the authentication of biometric features with symmetry, integrating symmetry modeling with Dual-Path Feature Interaction and Similarity Fusion to advance the precision of ear authentication. Full article

Tinnitus is a common phantom auditory percept believed to be related to plastic changes in the brain due to hearing loss. However, tinnitus can also occur in the absence of any clinical hearing loss. In this case, since there is no hearing loss, the mechanisms that drive plastic changes remain largely enigmatic. Previous studies showed subtle differences in sound-evoked brain activity associated with tinnitus in subjects with tinnitus and otherwise normal hearing, but the results are not consistent across studies. Here, we aimed to investigate these differences using monaural rather than binaural stimuli. Sound-evoked responses were measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in participants with and without tinnitus. All participants had clinically normal audiograms. The stimuli were pure tones with frequencies between 353 and 8000 Hz, presented monaurally. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the response in the auditory cortex revealed no difference in tonotopic organization, which confirmed earlier studies. A GLM analysis showed hyperactivity in the lateral areas of the bilateral auditory cortex. Consistent with the tonotopic map, this hyperactivity mainly occurred in response to low stimulus frequencies. This may be related to hyperacusis. Furthermore, there was an interaction between stimulation side and tinnitus in the parahippocampus. This may reflect an interference between tinnitus and spatial orientation. Full article

Previous studies have shown that autistic people often display atypical responses when processing sensory information, with particular prevalence within the auditory domain. Often provoked by common everyday sounds, auditory hypersensitivity can result in self-regulatory fear responses. This can be potentially harmful to autistic individuals and the people around them and is associated with greater occurrence of anxiety, depression, and poorer overall quality of life in the autistic population. Rather than a physiological causation, the literature suggests that hypersensitivity to sound is likely to be caused by how auditory stimuli are processed in the brain. This paper reports a home-based digital intervention aimed to address auditory hypersensitivity in autistic children. Developed as an interactive virtual reality game, the system integrates exposure-based therapy techniques into game mechanics and delivers target auditory stimuli to the player rendered via binaural-based spatial audio. The performance of the platform was evaluated in a 10-week feasibility study, during which children (n = 7) engaged weekly with the game during a 30 min session. Following this period, a comparison of pre- and post-study measurements showed a decrease in sensitivity for five participants, with qualitative feedback highlighting an increase in tolerance towards real-world stimuli and challenging environments. These results provide initial support for SoundFields as a home-based intervention targeting auditory hypersensitivity experienced by autistic children. Full article

Following the rise of virtual reality is a demand for sound field reproduction techniques that allow the user to interact and move within acoustic reproductions with six-degrees-of-freedom. To this end, a mixed-source model of near-field and far-field virtual sources has been introduced to improve the performance of sound field translation in binaural reproductions of spatial audio recordings. The previous works, however, expand the sound field in terms of the mixed sources based on sound pressure. In this paper, we develop a new mixed-source expansion based on particle velocity, which contributes to more precise reconstruction of the interaural phase difference and, therefore, contributes to improved human perception of sound localization. We represent particle velocity over space using velocity coefficients in the spherical harmonic domain, and the driving signals of the virtual mixed-sources are estimated by constructing cost functions to optimize the velocity coefficients. Compared to the state-of-the-art method, sound-pressure-based mixed-source expansion, we show through numerical simulations that the proposed particle-velocity-based mixed-source expansion has better reconstruction performance in sparse solutions, allowing for sound field translation with better perceptual immersion over a larger space. Finally, we perceptually validate the proposed method through a Multiple Stimulus with Hidden Reference and Anchor (MUSHRA) experiment for a single source scenario. The experimental results support the better perceptual immersion of the proposed method. Full article

Most studies investigating the effects of environmental noise on children’s cognitive performance examine the impact of monaural noise (i.e., same signal to both ears), oversimplifying multiple aspects of binaural hearing (i.e., adequately reproducing interaural differences and spatial information). In the current study, the effects of a realistic classroom-noise scenario presented either monaurally or binaurally on tasks requiring processing of auditory and visually presented information were analyzed in children and adults. In Experiment 1, across age groups, word identification was more impaired by monaural than by binaural classroom noise, whereas listening comprehension (acting out oral instructions) was equally impaired in both noise conditions. In both tasks, children were more affected than adults. Disturbance ratings were unrelated to the actual performance decrements. Experiment 2 revealed detrimental effects of classroom noise on short-term memory (serial recall of words presented pictorially), which did not differ with age or presentation mode (monaural vs. binaural). The present results add to the evidence for detrimental effects of noise on speech perception and cognitive performance, and their interactions with age, using a realistic classroom-noise scenario. Binaural simulations of real-world auditory environments can improve the external validity of studies on the impact of noise on children’s and adults’ learning. Full article

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterised as experiencing impairments in social-emotional interaction and communication, alongside frequently displaying repetitive behaviours and interests. Further to this, they are often described as experiencing difficulties in processing sensory information, with particular prevalence within the auditory modality. Provoked by common environmental sounds, auditory hypersensitivity can result in self-regulatory fear responses. Rather than a physiological pain reaction, literature suggests that these hypersensitivities are resulting through irrational fear of the sounds. This investigation evaluates the use of binaural based spatial audio as a rendering technique for delivering realistic simulations of averse stimuli within a virtual reality (VR) exposure based computer game intervention for auditory hypersensitivity in autism. Over multiple experimental sessions, 20 autistic participants experiencing auditory hypersensitivity were exposed to either spatial audio or stereo renders of target stimuli during the intervention. Measurements of self-reported emotions displayed significant reductions in associated negative emotional reactions to target stimuli for all participants. However, significant improvements were experienced by those listening to spatial audio simulations. Moreover, tracked voluntary interactions with exposure based game-mechanics increased as the study progressed. Providing further evidence of increased tolerance towards averse auditory stimuli. Full article

The increasing contrast between limited resources and growing demand in psychiatric care for anxiety disorders has caused an urgent need to find new cost-effective methods for treatment. This article studies the therapeutic potential of interactive audiovisual abstract art in a 360-degree virtual reality environment as a method for reducing anxiety and inducing relaxation. The study consists of experimental research of a virtual reality relaxation application called Binaural Odyssey. This research was conducted with 13 research participants between June and August 2021, and it uses a within-subjects design. Digital questionnaires, structured interviews, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data, and the researcher’s observations during the research situation were used to gather research data. Results of the study suggest that this method can produce positive mental health effects for the users, such as reduced anxiety and tension, as well as increased relaxation levels and mental resources. Binaural Odyssey is a promising prototype of this method, but it lacks parity regarding application contents and clear therapeutic goals and, therefore, cannot be recommended for treatment purposes. However, further development with mental health professionals could pave the way for a new functional treatment method for reducing and controlling anxiety and tension. Full article

The Masking Level Difference (MLD) test is one of the main instruments for investigating binaural interaction. Studies with children aged 7–12 years still disagree about the influence of age on test performance and present discordant reference values. This study aimed to verify the effect of age on the performance of children aged 7–12 years in the MLD test and to establish reference values and cutoff criteria for this age group. Fifty-nine children with normal hearing were organized in three groups according to their age: 7–8 (n = 20), 9–10 (n = 20), and 11–12 (n = 19) years. The participants completed the MLD test by Auditec^®. The Kruskal–Wallis statistical test was used to compare groups. Reference values were obtained by calculating mean, standard deviation, median, mode, and percentiles, while the cutoff criterion was obtained by subtracting two standard deviations from the mean. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups regarding the MLD test measures. The mean MLD was 10.51 ± 1.84 dB and the cutoff point was set at 7 dB. Thus, reference values for the MLD test were established for children aged 7–12 years, who presented no effect of age on test performance. Full article

Room-scale virtual reality (VR) affordance in movement and interactivity causes new challenges in creating virtual acoustic environments for VR experiences. Such environments are typically constructed from virtual interactive objects that are accompanied by an Ambisonic bed and an off-screen (“invisible”) music soundtrack, with the Ambisonic bed, music, and virtual acoustics describing the aural features of an area. This methodology can become problematic in room-scale VR as the player cannot approach or interact with such background sounds, contradicting the player’s motion aurally and limiting interactivity. Written from a sound designer’s perspective, the paper addresses these issues by proposing a musically inclusive novel methodology that reimagines an acoustic environment predominately using objects that are governed by multimodal rule-based systems and spatialized in six degrees of freedom using 3D binaural audio exclusively while minimizing the use of Ambisonic beds and non-diegetic music. This methodology is implemented using off-the-shelf, creator-oriented tools and methods and is evaluated through the development of a standalone, narrative, prototype room-scale VR experience. The experience’s target platform is a mobile, untethered VR system based on head-mounted displays, inside-out tracking, head-mounted loudspeakers or headphones, and hand-held controllers. The authors apply their methodology to the generation of ambiences based on sound-based music, sound effects, and virtual acoustics. The proposed methodology benefits the interactivity and spatial behavior of virtual acoustic environments but may be constrained by platform and project limitations. Full article

Sound Source Localization (SSL) and gaze shift to the sound source behavior is an integral part of a socially interactive humanoid robot perception system. In noisy and reverberant environments, it is non-trivial to estimate the location of a sound source and accurately shift gaze in its direction. Previous SSL algorithms are deficient in the optimum approximation of distance to audio sources and to accurately detect, interpret, and differentiate the actual sound from comparable sound sources due to challenging acoustic environments. In this article, a learning-based model is presented to achieve noiseless and reverberation-resistant sound source localization in the real-world scenarios. The proposed system utilizes a multi-layered Gaussian Cross-Correlation with Phase Transform (GCC-PHAT) signal processing technique as a baseline for a Generalized Cross Correlation Convolution Neural Network (GCC-CNN) model. The proposed model is integrated with an efficient rotation algorithm to predict and orient toward the sound source. The performance of the proposed method is compared with the state-of-art deep network-based sound source localization methods. The findings of the proposed method outperform the existing neural network-based approaches by achieving the highest accuracy of 96.21% for an active binaural auditory perceptual system. Full article

Although the focus of Virtual Reality (VR) lies predominantly on the visual world, acoustic components enhance the functionality of a 3D environment. To study the interaction between visual and auditory modalities in a 3D environment, we investigated the effect of auditory cues on visual searches in 3D virtual environments with both visual and auditory noise. In an experiment, we asked participants to detect visual targets in a 360° video in conditions with and without environmental noise. Auditory cues indicating the target location were either absent or one of simple stereo or binaural audio, both of which assisted sound localization. To investigate the efficacy of these cues in distracting environments, we measured participant performance using a VR headset with an eye tracker. We found that the binaural cue outperformed both stereo and no auditory cues in terms of target detection irrespective of the environmental noise. We used two eye movement measures and two physiological measures to evaluate task dynamics and mental effort. We found that the absence of a cue increased target search duration and target search path, measured as time to fixation and gaze trajectory lengths, respectively. Our physiological measures of blink rate and pupil size showed no difference between the different stadium and cue conditions. Overall, our study provides evidence for the utility of binaural audio in a realistic, noisy and virtual environment for performing a target detection task, which is a crucial part of everyday behaviour—finding someone in a crowd. Full article

Deafness in both ears is highly disruptive to communication in everyday listening situations. Many individuals with profound deafness receive bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) to gain access to spatial cues used in localization and speech understanding in noise. However, the benefit of bilateral CIs, in particular sensitivity to interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILDs), varies among patients. We measured binaural sensitivity in 46 adult bilateral CI patients to explore the relationship between binaural sensitivity and three classes of patient-related factors: age, acoustic exposure, and electric hearing experience. Results show that ILD sensitivity increased with shorter years of acoustic exposure, younger age at testing, or an interaction between these factors, moderated by the duration of bilateral hearing impairment. ITD sensitivity was impacted by a moderating effect between years of bilateral hearing impairment and CI experience. When age at onset of deafness was treated as two categories (<18 vs. >18 years of age), there was no clear effect for ILD sensitivity, but some differences were observed for ITD sensitivity. Our findings imply that maximal binaural sensitivity is obtained by listeners with a shorter bilateral hearing impairment, a longer duration of CI experience, and potentially a younger age at testing. 198/200. Full article

Can auralization of a highly directional source in a room succeed if it employs a room impulse response (RIR) measurement or simulation relying on a first-order directional source, only? This contribution presents model and evaluation of a source-and-receiver-directional Ambisonics RIR capture and processing approach (SRD ARIR) based on a small set of responses from a first-order source to a first-order receiver. To enhance the directional resolution, we extend the Ambisonic spatial decomposition method (ASDM) to upscale the first-order resolution of both source and receiver to higher orders. To evaluate the method, a listening experiment was conducted based on first-order SRD-ARIR measurements, into which the higher-order directivity of icosahedral loudspeaker’s (IKO) was inserted as directional source of well-studied perceptual effects. The results show how the proposed method performs and compares to alternative rendering methods based on measurements taken in the same acoustic environment, e.g., multiple-orientation binaural room impulse responses (MOBRIRs) from the physical IKO to the KU-100 dummy head, or higher-order SRD ARIRs from IKO to em32 Eigenmike. For optimal externalization, our experiments exploit the benefits of virtual reality, using a highly realistic visualization on head-mounted-display, and a user interface to report localization by placing interactive visual objects in the virtual space. Full article

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterised as having impairments in social-emotional interaction and communication, alongside displaying repetitive behaviours and interests. Additionally, they can frequently experience difficulties in processing sensory information with particular prevalence in the auditory domain. Often triggered by everyday environmental sounds, auditory hypersensitivity can provoke self-regulatory fear responses such as crying and isolation from sounds. This paper presents SoundFields, an interactive virtual reality game designed to address this area by integrating exposure based therapy techniques into game mechanics and delivering target auditory stimuli to the player rendered via binaural based spatial audio. A pilot study was conducted with six participants diagnosed with ASD who displayed hypersensitivity to specific sounds to evaluate the use of SoundFields as a tool to reduce levels of anxiety associated with identified problematic sounds. During the course of the investigation participants played the game weekly over four weeks and all participants actively engaged with the virtual reality (VR) environment and enjoyed playing the game. Following this period, a comparison of pre- and post-study measurements showed a significant decrease in anxiety linked to target auditory stimuli. The study results therefore suggest that SoundFields could be an effective tool for helping individuals with autism manage auditory hypersensitivity. Full article