Ultrasonic echolocating spatial super hearing system
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Sähkötekniikan korkeakoulu |
Master's thesis
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Author
Date
2024-08-19
Department
Major/Subject
Acoustics and Audio Technology
Mcode
ELEC3030
Degree programme
CCIS - Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (TS2013)
Language
en
Pages
62
Series
Abstract
Echolocation is a physical phenomenon utilized by certain animal species to navigate in their environment, via the emission of ultrasonic sound cues and interception of incoming reflections. Recent smart-cane technologies and assistive devices designed for visually-impaired populations make use of echolocation via ultrasonic sensors, thus aiding humans in navigation. However, such devices are limited to obstacle-detection functionalities, meaning that they cannot provide users with a spatial map of the environment. This shortcoming can be addressed via binaural technology in the form of super hearing, a novel method for localization of ultrasonic sound in a user’s environment. However, utilizing super hearing for echolocative purposes requires adding a loudspeaker component to the system for the purpose of emitting ultrasonic cues and localizing the incoming ultrasonic reflections. This thesis proposes a novel, real-time echolocating system known as the bat-mic for spatial navigation in limited-visibility conditions via an extended implementation of super hearing technology. The system functionality is initially simulated off-line over recordings of microphone-captured loudspeaker-emitted signal made in various acoustic conditions. These simulations allow fine-tuning the system parameters, and additionally demonstrate that the system is useful for two non-trivial navigational tasks: approaching a boundary in free-field conditions and finding a point equidistant from two walls within a corridor. A real-time, proof-of-concept device based on the system is then implemented as a user-interactive audio VST plugin.Description
Supervisor
Pulkki, VilleThesis advisor
McCormack, LeoKeywords
echolocation, super hearing, DirAC, VBAP, binaural audio, real-time audio
