Sound of vision : spatial audio output and sonification approaches

The paper summarizes a number of audio-related studies conducted by the Sound of Vision consortium, which focuses on the construction of a new prototype electronic travel aid for the blind. Different solutions for spatial audio were compared by testing sound localization accuracy in a number of setups, comparing plain stereo panning with generic and individual HRTFs, as well as testing different types of stereo headphones vs custom designed quadrophonic proximaural headphones. A number of proposed sonification approaches were tested by sighted and blind volunteers for accuracy and efficiency in representing simple virtual environments.