Kanada's papers

Kanada, Y., 15th ACM International Workshop on Network and Operating System Support for Digital Audio and Video (NOSSDAV 2005), pp. 45-50, June 2005, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1065983.1065996

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Abstract: An improved prototype of the "voiscape" voice communication medium has been developed and subjectively evaluated. Voiscape enables natural and seamless voice communication by using sound to create a virtual "sound room" in which people, who are represented by different sounds, can move freely. It features low-delay motion-tracking spatial audio with simulated early reflections that produce out-of-head sound localization and sound distance expression. It also features virtual-location-based selective communication: a user can walk freely in the sound room using a map- and cursor-key-based user-interface and can select whom to talk to or which sound sources to listen to. A third feature is SIP-presence-event-notification (SIMPLE)-based sound room management: when users move, their locations and directions are distributed using SIP SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY messages. The combination of these features creates a natural voice-communication space in which two or more parallel conversation contexts can coexist. Limited, subjective testing by around 200 people showed that this medium can be used for cocktail-party-like conversation; i.e., users could distinguish parallel conversations by paying attention to or by moving toward one of them.

Introduction to this research theme: voiscape

Kanada, Y., Technical Committee on Electrical Acoustics (EA), Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), June 2005.

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Abstract: We are developing a communication medium called voiscape, which enables taking to people while selecting persons to talk by moving in a virtual "sound room". In the second prototype of voiscape called VPII, the FIR Method is used for low-delay HRTF filtering, the sound room - the range of motion - is identified with the room in acoustical cal-culation, and early reflections by the sound room walls are simulated. The early reflections produce out-of-head sound lo-calization and sound distance expression. We also implemented motion-tracking and interpolation algorithms into the spatialization method. VPII enabled a voice communication environment, in which speaker identification is easy, multiple conversation-contexts can be created in a room, and motions of users and objects in a sound room are natural and causes only small noises.

Introduction to this research theme: voiscape