Audio and visual distance perception of familiar and unfamiliar objects using Wave Field Synthesis and a stereoscopic display

Abstract

Object distance perception can be influenced both by auditory and visual cues. This work seeks to examine the influence of both perceptual domains for familiar and unfamiliar auditory and visual stimuli. For example, an alarm clock is a familiar object and a generic vibrating sphere is an unfamiliar object because the distance cannot be estimated from known dimensions. A Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) system and a stereoscopic large screen display using shutter glasses was used to create the virtual objects. Utilizing WFS allowed for sources to be placed virtually behind and in front of the speaker array. Cues were presented audio only, visual only or audio and visual simultaneously. Participants were asked for the estimated depth of the object while randomizing the above scenarios. This work expands upon a previous study [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137, 2374] that suggested that the visual cues tend to dominate perception even when auditory cues are available. One goal of the new study is to investigate if finding holds true and if the listener is presented with more salient cues that also allow for head movements. In the previous study, the virtual environment was based on static Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs).