bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Head movement during natural group conversation and inter-annotator agreement on manual annotation
Authors: Lertpoompunya Angkana , Higgins Nathan C. , Ozmeral Erol J. , Eddins David A.
Published: November 2023

During speech communication and conversational turn-taking, listeners direct their head and eyes to receive meaningful auditory and visual cues. Features of these behaviors may convey listener intent. This study designed a test environment, data collection protocol and procedures, and investigated head movement behaviors during self-driven conversations among multiple partners. Nine participants were tested in cohorts of three. Participants wore a headset with sensors tracked by an infrared camera system. Participants watched an audio-video clip, followed by a 5-min undirected discussion. The entire session was video recorded for annotation purposes. Two annotators independently coded the video files using the EUDICO Linguistic Annotator software application. Annotations were then co-registered with the head tracking data in post processing. Inter-annotator agreement demonstrated the desired reliability, thereby validating the procedures designed. Movement trajectories showed that there were individual differences on the head yaw distribution. The combination of objective measures of head movement and manual annotation of conversation behaviors provides a rich data set for characterizing natural conversations in ecologically valid settings. The measurement procedures and coding system developed here is a first step towards characterizing head movements during conversations needed to predict listening intent and to create actions based on those predictions.
Lack of a clear head movement benefit in a spatial release form masking task
Authors: Ozmeral Erol J. , Higgins Nathan C. , Chun Hoonki
Published: November 2023

The study of spatial benefit in complex listening environments often requires listeners to maintain a fixed head position so that controls are in place for understanding binaural function. In natural listening environments, however, listeners may use head movements (e.g., turns and tilts) to achieve their maximum speech reception. In a previous study, we developed a spatial release from masking task that adapts the location of the maskers to determine the angular threshold for a predetermined masking release (in dB), and in the present study, we modified this task to allow for the listeners to move their heads as they wished to maximize performance on the task. Twenty young normal hearing listeners were tested on the head-fixed and head-free conditions. Head tracking was collected for posthoc analyses. Overall, there was no significant difference in behavioral thresholds between conditions despite wide ranges of head movements in the head-free condition. Interestingly, large individual differences in head movement translated to a narrowing of the variance in behavioral thresholds relative to the head-fixed condition, suggesting that listeners were indeed optimizing their speech reception. Further analyses will dissect the types of head movements and strategic differences among the participants, with implications for listeners with hearing loss.
The interaction between talker head orientation, spatial separation, and extended high frequencies for speech-in-speech recognition
Authors: Ananthanarayana Rohit M. , Delaram Vahid , Trine Allison , Miller Margaret , Stecker Chris , Buss Emily , Monson Brian B.
Published: November 2023

Speech-in-speech recognition experiments generally involve presentation of stimuli as if target and masker talkers are facing the listener. This is because speech signals are recorded with microphones located in front of the talkers. In real-world situations, masker talkers are often rotated away from the listener, facing their own conversational partners. This head orientation mismatch between the target and masker talkers provides cues that enhance speech recognition, including cues at extended high frequencies (EHFs; >8 kHz) due to the directional nature of EHFs in speech radiation. However, it is unclear how head orientation and EHF cues affect speech recognition when target and masker speech come from different spatial locations, as is the case in realistic multi-talker environments. In the present study, we investigated the EHF benefit in a complex auditory scene involving differences in target and masker head orientation and spatial location. Masker head orientation was either 0° (facing) or 90° (non-facing). Target speech location was 0° azimuth, while masker speech location was either 0° or ±45° azimuth. Preliminary analyses suggest spatial cues provide greater benefit than head orientation cues, and that the EHF benefit is diminished when talkers are spatially separated. [Work supported by NIH grant R01DC019745.]
Hearing aid processing affects acoustic features important for emotional responses to sounds
Authors: Picou Erin , Martens William
Published: November 2023

A wide range of emotional responses is desirable and supports overall quality of life. However, adults with hearing loss exhibit a reduced range of emotional responses to non-speech sounds compared to their peers with normal hearing. Recent work demonstrates that audibility of low- and high-frequencycues supports emotion perception of non-speech sounds, as does modulation energy and roughness in the sound. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of hearing aid processing on acoustic parameters that have been related to emotional responses to non-speech sounds. Twenty-three adults with bilateral hearing loss rated valence of non-speech sounds, with and without hearing aids. The non-speech sounds were then recorded through an acoustic manikin with and without the research hearing aids with each participant’s settings. To examine the effects of hearing aid processing, the acoustic parameters previously related to emotional responses were analyzed using a combination of cluster analysis and linear regression. Results indicate that some acoustic parameters are affected by hearing aid processing (e.g., less amplitude modulation at 1270 Hz), which partially explain the reduced range of subjective emotional responses seen in adults with hearing loss. The results of this study have implications for the refinement of hearing aid processing algorithms.
Live evaluation of auditory preference for group conversations
Authors: Herrlin Petra , Marmel Frédéric , Wolters Florian , Smeds Karolina
Published: November 2023

Improving hearing-impaired people's ability to participate in conversations is important. To date, few outcome measures let us relate conversation success to hearing impairment and hearing-aid function. In a previous study, we developed the LEAP test (Smeds et al. 2021), where a test leader guided one participant through a set of listening scenarios, in which the participant compared two hearing-aid settings and reported the preferred setting. The current study extends the LEAP test to unsupervised group conversations. Nine groups of three participants held conversations sparked by so-called consensus questions. Two test scenarios were used: “business meeting” (where a projector created low-level background noise) and “dinner party” (where an ambisonics recording reproduced in 2-D was used as background). Two test paradigms were evaluated: direct comparisons, where participants toggled between the two hearing-aid settings during a conversation and then selected their preferred setting, and indirect comparisons, where one hearing-aid setting was used at the time and participants after each conversation rated how well the hearing aids worked in the current setting, and the preferred setting was determined by comparing the two ratings. The reliability of the two test paradigms was evaluated. At the time of the submission of this abstract, analyses are ongoing.
Improved acoustics puts students on the autism spectrum in a better position to learn, but they still have to learn
Authors: Wilson Wayne J. , Harper-Hill Keely , Armstrong Rebecca , Downing Cerys , Perrykkad Kelsey , Rafter Mary , Ashburner Jill
Published: November 2023

Over the past decade, researchers have increasingly argued that improved acoustics can lead to improved classroom performance for students on the autism spectrum. This paper reviews these arguments to find stronger evidence of proximate benefits for acquiring skills lower on the listening hierarchy (such as sound detection and phonemic awareness) and weaker evidence of distant benefits for acquiring skills higher on the listening hierarchy (such as language and learning). These findings suggest that improved acoustics can put students on the spectrum in a better position to learn, but learning must still take place over time. These findings warrant case-by-case consideration for improving acoustics to benefit students on the spectrum, with realistic expectations of the benefits that can be expected from improved acoustics alone.
Internal sound pressure and power radiation from a submerged cylindrical enclosure with interior acoustic excitation
Authors: Pan Xia , Moore Stephen , Forrest James , MacGillivray Ian
Published: November 2023

This paper presents the modelling and analysis of the effect of an interior acoustic excitation on a submerged cylindrical enclosure. The enclosure has ring stiffeners and acoustic absorption material on the internal wall. The acoustic excitation generates an incident and scattered sound field inside the enclosure. The incident and scattered sound forms the internal pressure which induces a structural response and, thus, the radiated sound. The previous work (James 1985) with an internal noise source located on the vertical axis is expanded to allow forces and interior acoustic sources at arbitrary locations. The formulation of the internal pressure is developed by solving the unknown coupling term between the internal fluid and the hull. The coupling term was neglected by James (1985). However, this term is significant in magnitude for the internal pressure and must, therefore, be included. The analytical results are compared with numerical finite element/boundary element models with good agreement.
Fully optic characterization of acoustic impedance implementable in conventional optical microscope
Authors: Tamura Kazuki , Okawa Shinpei
Published: November 2023

The intrinsic acoustic impedance (Z) changes with inflammation and canceration. This paper proposes an optically Z measurement method using a common optical microscope for simultaneous measurement of optical-acoustical observation. Photoacoustic (PA) waves were generated by the PA effect of the pulsed laser (a 527 nm nanosecond laser light) at the black ink and resin pasted area on the outside of the bottom of the petri dish (surface A). The generated PA waves propagated to the inner boundary of the petri dish and reflected, with a reflection coefficient of R. The reflected waves propagated to surface A and vibrated it. The surface vibration was measured with a self-built Sagnac interferometer using a contentious light laser and a 10x objective lens. Measurements were made air-filled and water-filled petri dishes. The observed times of echo signal corresponded to the sound speed of longitudinal and transverse propagation. The reflected wave amplitude of air was larger than in a water-filled petri dish. They related that R water and R air are 0.24 and 1.00, respectively. There corresponds to the Z ratio of the polystyrene petri dish and the water or air inside. Thus, this result showed that sample Z was measured optically.
Kidney stone twinkling power in elevated oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen environments
Authors: Brownstead Laura , Streeper Necole , Simon Julianna
Published: November 2023

Clinically, ∼66% of kidney stones exhibit the Doppler ultrasound twinkling artifact. Previous studies show breathing pure oxygen at elevated pressures increases twinkling compared to ambient air. Here, we investigate how different gases influence twinkling on ex vivo and in vivo human kidney stones. 38 kidney stones were imaged with a research ultrasound system and ATL L7-4 transducer in elevated oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen environments. In vivo stones were imaged with the same ultrasound system and ATL C5-2 transducer in 25 human subjects before and after breathing pure oxygen for 15 min. IQ data were processed by calculating the average Doppler power, or twinkling, for a region of interest containing the stone. In the lab, increasing oxygen by 55%, carbon dioxide by 100%, and nitrogen by 17% increased twinkling power an average of 70 ± 28%, 137 ± 53%, and 79 ± 31%, respectively. In human subjects, breathing oxygen increased twinkling power an average of 27 ± 58%, with seven subjects showing a strong increase (>30%); stone composition and patient age influenced twinkling in patients breathing oxygen. These results suggest that varying ambient gases may be leveraged to increase the consistency of twinkling and improve kidney stone detection with ultrasound. [Work supported by the PSU Center for Biodevices.]
Shear wave elastography evaluation of passive muscle stiffness in vivo
Authors: Roots Jacqueline , S Trajano Gabriel , Drovandi Christopher , Bretherton Adam , Fontanarosa Davide
Published: November 2023

Shear wave elastography is emerging as a viable method for diagnosing changes in the stiffness of tissues and can be applied to many aspects of the musculoskeletal system to allow the detection of muscle properties that have previously been unseen. It can be used to evaluate the change in stiffness caused by injury, inflammation, pathology or surgery, as well as the response to interventions. Determining the appropriate protocols and interpretation of results is the current major hurdle, limiting radiology clinics from adopting the technology. To overcome this, our research involved multiple phases of data collection to determine the anatomical variation and factors that influence passive muscle stiffness, measured on multiple machine vendors and varying patient positions. Measurements were performed on healthy volunteers in vivo. This research has investigated the variability of shear wave velocities along the length of the biceps brachii, as well as confirming the decrease in velocities with elbow joint flexion. The intersession variability of machines was excellent. Most notably, we demonstrated that separate bellies of the same muscle can differ in stiffness suggesting the need for a strong morphological and biomechanical understanding of muscles before development of evaluation protocols.
Diagnosis of robotic arm anomalous sounds using unsupervised learning algorithms
Authors: Zheng Zi-Wei , Peng Tzu-huan , Tsai Yu-Ting
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we develop a technique that integrates acoustics detection with artificial intelligence, empowering robotic arms in production environments with the capacity to monitor, diagnose, and predict anomalies. We combine the deep learning techniques of AI with audio signals collected by an array of microphones. We predict the health status of equipment systems and prevent equipment failure by using this sound data. Our novel approach focuses on converting and analyzing environmental acoustics data. The distinctive contribution of this research lies in its strategy learning and inference. By harnessing large-scale audio data information, we establish AI learning models that automatically parse input data to recognize audio features. We also employ device scheduling operations for comparative detection, endowing the equipment with abnormal diagnosis and prediction capabilities. We utilize commercially available microphone devices for sound collection, voice activity detection, and spectrogram reduction for signal preprocessing and capture before we create a dataset. Finally, we use the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for unsupervised learning, estimating the probability density of data, and calculating GMM scores of data points for in-depth analysis. In this way, we can judge whether the sound signals collected by the microphone are abnormal.
Optical generation and detection of GHz longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves in solids assisted by two-dimensional metallic grating structure
Authors: Matsuda Osamu
Published: November 2023

Absorption of laser pulses with picosecond temporal width in a two-dimensional nano-scale metallic grating deposited on a transparent substrate launches both longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves in to the sample. The periodic metallic structure makes the generated acoustic waves propagate several different directions. The propagating acoustic waves are monitored optically by the delayed light pulses (probe light) as the transient reflectivity change which is known as the Brillouin oscillation. The probe light is also diffracted by the metallic grating, allowing the detection of the acoustic waves propagating in the multiple directions efficiently. The analysis of the Brillouin oscillation frequencies brings the longitudinal and transverse sound velocities and the optical refractive index simultaneously from a single measurement. We verify the above mentioned scheme using a sample with two-dimensional square lattice (period 380 nm) of aluminum square islands of lateral dimension 200 × 200 nm2 and thickness of 50 nm on a fused silica substrate of thickness 1 mm. From the obtained Brillouin oscillation frequencies in several tens GHz, the acoustic and optical properties of the substrate material are successfully retrieved. The technique would be applicable to investigate the acoustic and optical properties of more complicated systems, such as anisotropic and/or inhomogeneous medium.
Ultrasonic sensing system with thermophone and its applications
Authors: Asada Takaaki , Sasaki Shinichi , Watabe Yuma , Yamada Yasufumi , Hasegawa Kanta , Sato Yuuka , Hiryu Shizuko
Published: November 2023

In recent decades, thermophone has been studied as a novel electro-acoustic transducer since it has notable features, such as thin, light weight, acoustic purity, and wide frequency range. Though power consumption and resulting temperature rise are considered fatal problem, they are drastically reduced by limiting operation within ultrasonic domain and adopting the pulse current drive. Ultrasonic sensing system consists of dedicated thermophone as transmitter and commercially available MEMS microphone as receiver is presented to demonstrate typical airborne ultrasonic application, such as range finder or obstacle detection. Applying pulse compression technique, few orders of improvement in distance resolution and effective noise rejection have been achieved. Details of the sensing system and applications cases as listed below will be disclosed. 1. Multiple miniature autonomous vehicles equipped the obstacle sensing system in order to verify the bats jamming avoidance behavior. 2. Bio-inspired active sonar system onboarded to the drone and demonstrated the obstacle avoidance navigation in a wild environment. 3. Small step identification with the obstacle sensing system for electric wheelchair and automatic guided vehicle (AGV). 4. Ultrasonic micro-meter level displacement measurement system for non-contact cardiac pulse monitoring.
Ultrasonic transducer for high temperature thickness monitoring
Authors: Belanger Pierre , Bouchy Sevan , Zednik Ricardo
Published: November 2023

Refineries typically undergo 30–60 days of programmed shutdowns every 4 to 6 years to assess the integrity of infrastructure not accessible during service. So far, the literature demonstrated the feasibility of using ultrasonic probes for continuous long-term monitoring up to 350°C. However, when the temperature keeps rising, an air- or water-cooling system is required or a long delay line is used to move the probe away from the heat source. Providing a real time monitoring solution for the most critical components operating at high temperature would increase safety and reduce the maintenance burden. In this talk, an ultrasonic probe operating completely immersed inside a 600°C (1112°F) environment for extended periods of time is presented. The design of the transducer will be discussed. Its small footprint enables it to be mounted at several critical and difficult to access locations. In order to validate performances transducers were mounted on plates and pipes of different materials and thicknesses and the assembly was put inside a furnace. The results of long-term stability at 600°C, the consistency of the measurements over a temperature range from 20°C to 600°C, and the robustness during aggressive thermal cycling will be presented.
Using non-destructive evaluation to monitor the influence of processing parameters on the curing process of thermoset polymers
Authors: Seisdedos Rodriguez Gonzalo , Viamontes Edgar , Salazar Eduardo , Pantea Cristian , Davis Eric S. , Rockward Tommy , Boesl Benjamin
Published: November 2023

The processing parameters used to manufacture thermoset polymers highly impact their curing process and final properties. However, these parameters, including stoichiometry and temperature, are difficult to monitor and control. This work presents a novel method to non-destructively evaluate in real-time the curing kinetics, mechanical properties, and chemical structure of an epoxy resin due to variations in the processing parameters using ultrasonics and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Samples with a different curing agent to epoxy ratio and varying curing temperatures were manufactured and tested. Changes in chemical structure and longitudinal sound speeds were monitored during the resin’s curing process, showing variations in the cure kinetics and final mechanical properties as a function of the processing parameters. The influence of these parameters on the glass transition temperature and thermal decomposition of the epoxy was also determined. Using ultrasonics and FTIR has the potential to non-destructively aid in the tailoring of polymeric materials by performing in-situ monitoring during their curing process. This method can also be implemented as quality control in both an in-field and manufacturing setting.
Psychophysiological restoration effects through the experience of Gugak soundscape content
Authors: Lee Haram , Yoon Hyowon , Jeon Jin Yong , Ahn Donghyun , Kim June Sic
Published: November 2023

The psychophysiological restoration effects of content combining Korean natural soundscape with Gugak, traditional Korean music, were validated through a VR CAVE environment. Participants experienced the content of their choice while seated in a comfortable capsule-shaped chair over a total period of 6 weeks. Psychological responses, heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalogram (EEG) were measured before and after each experience, including 4 weeks after the last (10th week). Acute and chronic effects were confirmed through various correlations derived from the data related to physical parameters that depict the characteristics of the soundscape environment, subjective evaluation results of the soundscape, and physiological response measurements, as well as significant changes in psychophysiological parameters related to restoration.
3-D printed membrane-type acoustic metamaterials with tailored performance
Authors: Johnston William , Sharma Bhisham
Published: November 2023

While traditional membrane-type acoustic metamaterials act as effective lightweight sound insulation materials, their geometries can neither be easily customized nor incorporated into other acoustic designs in a single workflow. Here, we leverage our established techniques at 3-D printing thin membranes to create custom acoustic metamaterials with tailored performance that can be easily implemented into other acoustic designs without any post-processing. In this study, we present the workflow to additively manufacture flexible membranes with added textural features using low-cost extrusion-based printing methods. Using a custom G-code, we print membranes with controlled mass, stiffness, and porosity while superimposing various surface pattern designs. Using a four-microphone normal-incidence impedance tube setup, we demonstrate the effect of each parameter on the membrane’s sound transmission loss behavior and compare the results against traditional acoustic mass law.
When speaking clearly does not enhance comprehension: Comparing intelligibility of hard-of-hearing- and non-native-directed speech for native and non-native listeners
Authors: Aoki Nicholas , Zellou Georgia
Published: November 2023

While clear speech is more intelligible than casual speech, some prior work indicates that the clear speech benefit is reduced for non-native listeners. It is unclear, however, how intelligibility for native and non-native listeners might differ across clear styles directed towards different imagined interlocutor types. If clear speech enhancements benefit the intended listeners, then (1) for non-native listeners, non-native-directed speech should be more intelligible than hard-of-hearing-directed speech; (2) native and non-native listeners should benefit equally from non-native-directed speech, while the advantage of hard-of-hearing-directed speech should be greater for native listeners. Native English speakers were recorded producing casual, hard-of-hearing, and non-native-directed speech to imagined interlocutors. Results from a speech-perception-in-noise task indicate that (1) native listeners had higher transcription accuracy than non-native listeners; (2) hard-of-hearing-directed speech was more intelligible than both non-native-directed and casual speech; (3) non-native-directed and casual speech did not differ in intelligibility; and (4) native and non-native listeners did not differ in the relative benefit of hard-of-hearing-directed speech. Contra our hypothesis, non-native-directed speech did not benefit non-native listeners despite being hyper-articulated compared to casual speech. This study highlights that speakers’ expectations of what will be helpful for listeners do not always provide the intended benefit.
Amodal phonological abstraction in infants at 10 months
Authors: Altuntas Eylem , Best Catherine , Kalashnikova Marina , Goetz Antonia , Burnham Denis
Published: November 2023

Infants can abstract amodal information about place of articulation at 4-5 months, before perceptual attunement to native consonants occurs (Altuntas et al., in preparation). We tested infants in the same task at 10 months, after native consonant attunement has commenced, which may affect phonological abstraction relative to 4–5 months. 29 infants acquiring Australian English were trained to associate different cartoon animals with audio-only words from two artificial mini-languages (Language A: Kangaroo; Language B: Kookaburra), which differed in use of only labial or only coronal sets of consonants. They were tested with video-only words (silent talking face) paired with Congruent (matching) or Incongruent (mismatching) animals. We hypothesized that infants would look longer at the Congruent than Incongruent pairings during the test trials, indicating generalization from the auditory (training) to the visual modality (test), i.e., amodal abstraction. Surprisingly, looking times did not differ between Congruent and Incongruent trials. Attunement to native consonants at 10 months may interfere with phonological abstraction of the place of articulation feature across different consonants that share the same place. Examining other phonological abstractions or comparing infants acquiring languages with different consonant inventories could shed light on how perceptual attunement affects amodal phonological abstraction.
Investigating the effects of phonological neighborhood density, word frequency, and phoneme confusability on the English word recognition by native speakers of Japanese
Authors: Nozawa Takeshi , Wayland Ratree
Published: November 2023

This study aims to bridge the gap between previous research on the impact of phonological neighborhood density on word identification, which did not consider phoneme confusability, and studies on phoneme identification and discrimination, which did not account for the effects of phonological neighborhood density. Native Japanese listeners participated in this study, where they were tasked with identifying monosyllabic and disyllabic English words. The words varied in both phonological neighborhood density and word frequency and were produced by native speakers of American English and Japanese. Participants responded by typing the words they heard. The findings of this study indicated that there were no significant effects of phonological neighborhood density on word identification. However, frequent words were identified with greater accuracy compared to infrequent words. Moreover, words produced by native speakers of American English were more accurately identified than those produced by Japanese speakers. Japanese listeners' inaccurate perception of phonemes has resulted in word identification errors in both dense and sparse phonological neighborhoods. For example, they often mistakenly identify /l/ as /r/ and vice versa. Low and central vowels /æ, ɑ, ʌ/ are frequently misidentified as one another. These confusions are commonly observed among Japanese learners of English.
Impacts of seafloor characteristics on sound propagation in a seamount environment
Authors: King Brendan , Miller James H. , Potty Gopu R. , Lopez Case Jade F. , Chen Tzu-Ting , Lin YT
Published: November 2023

The New England Seamounts are located off the coast of Cape Cod. The Atlantis II Seamount, 400 miles southeast of Woods Hole, was the site of the recent New England Seamount Acoustics (NESMA) experiment during April–June of 2023. This seamount and others nearby contain complicated bathymetry with the Atlantis II peak rising roughly 3300 m from the seabed and 1700 m below the sea surface. During the experiment, broadband SUS charges were deployed in a 15 km radius around the seamount. A set of three bottom-mounted vector sensors recorded acoustic pressure and particle velocities. Data from an AUV-mounted sub-bottom profiler provided information about the sediment layers, including a sand layer atop limestone, overlying basalt. Using the RAM parabolic equation model, broadband arrivals were simulated. In addition, the Bellhop raytracing model was used to identify the arrivals. The measured data was compared to the synthetic time series produced by the models to understand the effects of the complex environment on acoustic propagation in the vicinity of the Atlantis II Seamount. [Work supported by Office of Naval Research Code 322OA and TFO.]
Even better musicians: Acoustic enhancement in the music classroom
Authors: Hildebrand Matthew
Published: November 2023

Music educators are using electronic sound reproduction and acoustic enhancement in primary and secondary schools – and are producing better musicians as a result. The development of musical ability is inherently tied to room acoustics; a supportive variable acoustic environment accelerates the ear training and critical listening skills to proficiently play or sing in an ensemble. This presentation will review findings from the past 20 years spent with these technologies in music education. How might sound reproduction be optimized for learning clarinet? How can acoustic enhancement reduce the potential for hearing loss and other playing injuries? Is a low ceiling ever beneficial in a music rehearsal space? (Hint: no – but we’ll attempt to address that, too).
Making a room ready and ensuring success for active acoustics systems
Authors: Ellison Steve , Germain Pierre , Schwenke Roger
Published: November 2023

Active Acoustics systems can be thought of as reducing the effective absorption of a room and/or increasing its effective volume and depend upon well-designed acoustic treatment and room shaping. Because Active Acoustics systems cannot reduce HVAC noise or improve isolation, these associated acoustical properties depend on the room’s acoustical design. Therefore, a successful Active Acoustic system installation relies on coordination with the acoustical consultant, from conceptual design to scheduling initial rehearsals with the various performance groups that utilize the room. Installation examples from around the world, including Australasia, are provided to illustrate lessons learned for developing successful projects.
Underwater soundscape observations and associated demersal fish movement during a seismic airgun survey in coastal Oregon
Authors: Raghukumar Kaustubha , Heal Katherine , Borland Lauren , Henkel Sarah , Chapple Taylor , Heppell Scott
Published: November 2023

Sound is a crucial aspect of the underwater environment for fishes—various species use sound to communicate, identify predators, navigate, and many other activities needed for survival in their habitat. In the summer of 2021, a seismic survey passed nearby Southern Oregon to map the Cascadia Subduction Zone using an array of airguns. To evaluate the effect of the seismic survey on the behavior of demersal fish, acoustic pressure and particle motion measurements were collected within a marine protected area, accompanied by tagging of two rockfish species, Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops) and China Rockfish (S. nebulosus). Acoustic measurements were obtained using a vector sensor array, deployed in 25 m deep water. It was found that while cumulative sound exposure levels were dominated by wind noise, other metrics such as peak sound pressure, kurtosis, acoustic complexity index, crest factor and acoustic entropy showed clear signals associated with the seismic survey. Animal behavior and spatial use by the two rockfish species were also evaluated. Overall, results indicate that there are slight differences in movement and spatial use during times of seismic survey noise presence, but observed differences are reduced after only a few days.
Basin scale propagation modeling of MLS signals from the Kauai Beacon source
Authors: Durofchalk Nicholas C. , Gemba Kay L. , Leary Paul , Smith Kevin
Published: November 2023

Long distance underwater acoustic propagation is of interest for a variety of applications including underwater navigation, yet modeling such propagation is challenging due to the large degree of environmental uncertainty. In this presentation, the propagation of 75Hz center frequency maximum length sequence (MLS) signals emitted from a submerged source near Kauai and received at various sites throughout the Pacific Ocean Basin is modeled with the Bellhop ray tracing [1] and Monterey-Newport Parabolic Equation [2] models. Sites such as the Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) observatory and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Organization (CTBTO) hydroacoustic monitoring station near Wake Island are included in the discussion. The range-dependent environment is based on historical profiles from the World Ocean Atlas database and reanalysis data from the hybrid coordinate ocean model (HYCOM) [3]. Bathymetry profiles along the axis of propagation are interpolated from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) 2021 database [4]. Simulated broadband channel impulse responses transmission loss levels in the modeled environment are compared to selected receptions of the signal at the hydrophone sites. Additionally, fluctuations of the modeled transmission loss in the presence of an internal wave model [5] are discussed.
Sound field navigation with virtual higher-order sound sources using complex greedy pursuit algorithm
Authors: Xu Shaoheng , Abhayapala Thushara , Zhang Jihui (Aimee)
Published: November 2023

As the Virtual Reality (VR) and metaverse industries continue to expand rapidly, there is a growing need to capture and recreate real-world experiences in immersive audio-visual scenes. Sound field translation, which activates equivalent virtual sources to recreate spatial sound fields, enables users to navigate through these scenes seamlessly. However, combining recordings from different microphones and processing mixed fields of exterior and interior sources present significant challenges. This paper introduces a novel method for virtual navigation by sparsely decomposing complex sound fields using distributed virtual higher-order sound sources and an iterative complex greedy pursuit algorithm. By combining spatially separated microphone recordings, the technique identifies its sparse representation with several higher-order virtual sources. This process effectively decomposes the complex sound field into a grid of higher-order sources, leveraging the power of the complex greedy pursuit algorithm. Through extensive experimentation, we demonstrate the suitability of our method for applications such as VR navigation and sound field reproduction with binaural devices. The results showcase enhanced realism and accuracy, offering users a truly immersive audio experience in virtual environments. As the demand for realistic audio-visual scenes grows, this innovative approach holds promise for advancing VR technology and enriching user experiences in the metaverse.
Acoustical affordances and challenges with indigenous and orchestral wind instruments
Authors: Braasch Jonas
Published: November 2023

All our orchestral wind instruments evolved over many centuries from indigenous prototypes. The latter were developed using found hollow objects like animal horns for early brass instruments, vulture bones for flutes, and termite-infested eucalyptus branches for the Australian didjeridu. Already over 40,000 years ago, the concept of finger holes was conceived that allowed musicians to play various scales on instruments. During the Rennaissance and early Baroque, wind instrument ranges were extended to 1 1/2 octaves and beyond on a diatonic scale and extended cross-fingering capabilities, but it was during the romantic period that our orchestral instruments reached their final form, with chromatic extended tonal ranges and known well balanced timbral qualities. Built on an industrial scale, these instruments became a commodity without real alternatives for subsequent music styles, including jazz, rock, and classical avant-garde. These styles often sought a new timbral expressiveness that can go beyond the intended design of orchestral instruments. In this paper, it will be discussed how different wind instrument designs offer(ed) unique opportunities for music genres over time and how the original design of indigenous instruments better meets some of the more recent requirements than our commonly used orchestral instruments.
The warble mechanism of the native American flute
Authors: Prairie Michael , Beeghley Joshua
Published: November 2023

The “warble” is a peculiar sound in many old Native American flutes. It is perceived as a spontaneous oscillation between two octaves of the flute’s lowest note at a rate of a few Hz, and spectrograms reveal amplitude modulation of all partials during the warble period. The modulation of the fundamental is assumed to be generated through interference with difference signals generated from detuned upper partials. We propose the detuned partials are temporarily locked with natural resonance frequencies that are inharmonic due to the construction characteristics of the flute, namely the bore length and the chimney configuration at the sound hole. Natural resonances of several flutes were measured, and then the fundamental note was played using a mechanical blower that slowly increased pressure to produce the warble. Spectrograms showed the harmonic spectrum increase in frequency until the onset of the warble as the third partial locked to the third natural resonance frequency. The results were analyzed using the Alder equation to describe locking and unlocking of the third partial with the natural resonance frequency to establish conditions for warbling. Proper placement of the third resonance frequency is essential to enable the warble, and the necessary construction details are discussed.
Advancing flow-duct noise control: Examples of innovative silencers
Authors: Jacob Stefan , Åbom Mats
Published: November 2023

Two examples of innovative silencers for advanced duct noise control are presented. The first example is related to using metamaterials and the so-called ‘slow sound' to create a compact virtual Herschel-Quincke tube [1]. The second example revolves around a concept called the ‘modal filter' [2], which is designed to selectively damp a single propagating mode. For plane waves, optimal propagational damping is achieved by a wall impedance equal to the Cremer impedance. We will demonstrate how to compute the Cremer impedance, even for low frequencies, at which the classical solution is invalid [3]. Such an arrangement efficiently dampens both the plane (0,0) and the first radial mode (0,1). To further dampen the first two circumferential modes (1,0) and (2,0), a section with the Cremer impedance can be combined with a modal filter made of micro-perforated plates. These plates are inserted parallel to the flow direction and positioned at modal velocity maxima in the duct cross-section. We anticipate that both examples can be useful in industries requiring compact noise mitigation solutions in flow ducts. [1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2019.115045. [2] https://doi.org/10.1121/2.0000473. [3] https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5136952
Mechanism of slow-wave generation and tuning in a perforation-modulated sonic black hole structure
Authors: Li Sihui , Yu Xiang , Cheng Li
Published: November 2023

A sonic black hole (SBH) in a retarding duct can be used to manipulate sound waves and achieve sound absorption. The SBH incorporates two indispensable physical processes: wave speed reduction and energy dissipation. In this study, a perforation-modulated SBH (PMSBH) retarding structure is proposed, in which the two physical phenomena can be balanced to enhance the black hole effects by modulating the perforation parameters. To fully investigate the mechanism of slow-wave generation and the effect of perforation parameters, an analytic model is established based on the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) solutions to the linear acoustic wave equation. By examining the analytical solutions and comparing them with the numerical results obtained from transient finite element simulations, the effect of several important parameters on reducing the sound speed and enhancing sound absorption performance is revealed, offering a set of criteria and physical insights for modulating the parameters to design an optimal slow-sound absorber. Finally, an experiment is conducted to confirm the theoretical studies and demonstrate the performance of PMSBH. This study brings forward the concept of tunable design to improve the performance of SBH structures, which can benefit the design of sound wave manipulation and noise control devices.
Noise dynamics in city nightlife: Assessing impact and potential solutions for residential proximity to pubs and bars
Authors: Chung Andy , To Wai Ming
Published: November 2023

The vibrancy of city nightlife, particularly within pubs and bars, brings with it a nuanced soundscape, with sounds ranging from operational activities to animated conversations. While these spaces serve as pivotal social hubs, the accompanying noise can become a concern for proximate residential areas. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the noise dynamics inherent to urban nightlife spots, accentuating the implications for those living nearby. It further outlines strategic guidelines designed to alleviate noise disturbances in alcohol-serving venues, promoting a serene urban atmosphere alongside bustling nightlife.
Developing a deep learning-based noise annoyance prediction tool for urban environments in Singapore
Authors: Priyadarshinee Prachee , Chen Jer-Ming , B. T. Balamurali
Published: November 2023

In this study, we develop a noise annoyance prediction tool using deep learning in Singapore, a densely populated city-state where a significant portion of the population resides in public housing near various noise sources like MRT, highways, bus routes, and construction sites. To investigate short-term annoyance caused by surrounding noises, we created an easily accessible web-based subjective listening test. We created a noise dataset featuring typical Singaporean noise sources, including traffic (buses, highways), trains, aviation, neighbourhood activities (playgrounds, schools, hawker centers, funerals, wildlife, home renovations), and construction. Participants were exposed to 35 noise stimuli, lasting between 15 to 30 seconds, and asked to rate perceived annoyance on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the most annoying. Using these reported annoyance levels, we ranked the stimuli relative to each other and categorized them into three classes: low, medium, and high noise annoyance. Using these three labels, Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks were trained to predict the perceived annoyance of new audio samples. Such a perceived annoyance assessment tool for new audio samples can help in addressing specific noise concerns of residents, leading to more effective and targeted noise control strategies, and consequently creating a quieter and more pleasant urban living environment.
Auditory sensory augmentation to support table tennis games for people with vision loss
Authors: Peng Phoebe , Sun Huiyuan , Marcireau Alexandre , Nguyen Minh , Zhu Howe , Lin Chin-Teng , Jin Craig
Published: November 2023

People with vision loss often face limitations in regular sports games with standard rules and equipment. For example, in current blind table tennis, conventional rules are modified so that the ball rolls along the table instead of bouncing. In this work, we propose an auditory sensory augmentation system to support traditional table tennis in three dimensions. We capture the trajectory of the table tennis ball using two neuromorphic event cameras and sonify the path of the ball using loudspeakers mounted near the left and right edges of the playing table. The two event cameras capture rapid changes in brightness allowing fast and precise ball tracking. The ball's 3D trajectory is then sonified using four lines of loudspeakers mounted at two different heights near the left and right edges of the playing table. We present a preliminary implementation and investigation of the proposed sensory augmentation system with a focus on the technical and perceptual challenges.
Personal authentication system utilizing voice distortion through guitar effectors
Authors: Zempo Keiichi , Harada Suzuha , Kawamura Takayuki , Ebihara Tadashi , Wakatsuki Naoto
Published: November 2023

In this study, we propose a personal authentication system using processed speech that can only be understood by those who know the original voice. The proposed system presents non-invertible processed speech signals, including distortion, equalization, and echo, to the voice representing the words registered by the legitimate user at the time of authentication, just like a signal processed through guitar effects pedals. The strength of the effect is set within the range where the legitimate user can barely be identified, and the combination of effect parameters can be changed each time it is presented, making it harder for everyone other than the legitimate user to break through. We confirmed the system's effectiveness by utilizing a dataset of Japanese words with defined word familiarity. Through an authentication experiment in which the system was automatically adjusted to an effect strength that was barely recognizable to legitimate users, it was found that legitimate users could identify 75.6% of the processed speech signals. In comparison, non-legitimate users could decode only 38.8% of the words. These results indicate the feasibility of a personal authentication system utilizing distorted speech signals.