Contribution
Methodology and tools for assessing the perceptual effects of sound source occlusion
* Presenting author
Abstract:
Incorporating the effects induced by sound source occlusion in mixed reality applications is important for achieving a plausible and immersive virtualized scene. For this, perceptually motivated rendering solutions are needed. A significant component in the development of such solutions is understanding the perceptual effect induced by occluders. Hence, this work proposes a subjective test methodology that includes capturing direct and indirect metrics. Using the proposed methodology, a test was conducted in a non-anechoic room with low reverberation, with a wall as the real obstacle. In this test, the impact of distance on perception was addressed, using several sound source positions and walking paths for the receiver, placed at different distances relative to the wall. To ensure an unbiased subject response, the setup was concealed using an acoustically transparent curtain, and headphones were employed to distract from the real reproduction form. The methodology incorporates several evaluation metrics, focusing on direct and indirect user responses. As direct evaluation metrics, subjects were required to indicate the area of perceived occlusion and rate the effect using a custom-designed questionnaire. Data extracted from a tracking system, which captured position information, relevant to determining the exploration behavior and points of interest, was used as indirect metrics.