Hybrid 3D audio playback methods for acoustic virtual reality

The first phase of this comprehensive research project was carried out by the Institute of Technical Acoustics at RWTH Aachen University from June 2016 to July 2022. The aim of the research was to develop spatial reproduction methods that use audio-visual technology to reproduce acoustic scenarios as realistically as possible for research purposes. The technology to be developed should be as interactive as possible and individually adjustable to the test subjects. In particular, the quality of the playback technology in connection with real-time simulations was to be improved so that larger scenes and those with more sources could also be auralized in real time.

The objectives of the project were to research the coupling elements of hybrid methods of spatial-acoustic computer simulations and 3D audio systems and, as a result, to significantly increase the efficiency of interactive audiovisual simulations as well as to validate and measure the performance of the hybrid systems and to make the findings and algorithms available for open access. Finally, the system was to be tested in a study on noise effects in work and learning spaces.

In the follow-up project “Hybrid 3D audio playback methods for noise impact research experiments part I” from September 2023 to July 2024, the hybrid playback system developed in the previous project was validated using a listening experiment in the context of noise impact research. The hybrid playback system was tested in several series of experiments on elementary psychoacoustic effects and with extensive technical measurements. The aim was to test whether loudspeaker-based playback reproduces the results (effect patterns) of the headphone-based studies.

In the current project phase from August 2024 to April 2026, the focus is on the expansion and implementation of a loudspeaker playback system for simulated sound scenes in smaller laboratory rooms and the use of the playback method in cognition experiments in the context of noise impact research. As part of this project, the hybrid 3D audio playback method will be evaluated in a validation experiment. In a noise impact experiment, listening performance is tested in a typical classroom background noise scenario under different signal-to-noise ratios.