AUTHOR=Rajguru Chinmay , Obrist Marianna , Memoli Gianluca 

TITLE=Spatial Soundscapes and Virtual Worlds: Challenges and Opportunities

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569056

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569056

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=There is a growing effort to characterise the soundscapes around us to design more compelling and immersive experiences. This review paper focuses on the challenges and opportunities around sound perception with the particular angle on spatial sound perception in a virtual reality (VR) cityscape. We review how research on the temporal aspects have recently been extended towards the evaluation of the spatial factors when designing soundscapes. In particular, we canvass some key findings addressing the human capability of localizing and distinguishing spatial sound cues in light of different technical setups. We highlight those studies carried out in both a real world and virtual reality setting to evaluate spatial sound perception. We conclude this review highlighting the opportunities offered by VR technology and the remaining open questions for virtual soundscape designers, especially in light of increased advances in spatial sound stimulation.