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Journal Article

Spatially Modulated Auditory Alerts for Aviation

Authors: Begault, Durand R.; Anderson, Mark R.; Mcclain, Mryan U.

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society · Volume 54 · Issue 4 · pp. 276–282 · April 2006

Abstract

The technique of spatially modulating an existing or newly created auditory alert along a virtual trajectory to improve its detection in a noisy environment is described. Threshold data from 14 participants were gathered as a function of the spatial modulation rate (0, 1.6, and 3.3 Hz) of an avionics “wind sheer” alert (two successive 300-ms square waves) against a steady-state background noise (Boeing 737-300 flight deck ambient sound). The 70.7% detection threshold for the spatially modulated alert was on average 7.8 dB lower than that for an alert without spatial modulation, with noise and signal both presented over headphones using virtual simulation techniques. The threshold for a headphone-delivered spatially modulated alert was 13.4 dB lower than that for a nonmodulated alert delivered over a single loudspeaker.

Details

Publication
Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
Volume
54
Issue
4
Pages
276–282
Publication date
April 6, 2006
Affiliation
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA (See document for exact affiliation information.)
Type
Journal Article