Audvert: Using spatial audio to gain a sense of place

Abstract

We introduce Audvert - a system that facilitates serendipitous discovery and navigation through spatial audio; used to navigate and discover points of interest in large, unfamiliar indoor environments. Our main aim was to create a lightweight spatial audio display that can convey a sense of a place without complex point and select interactions. We conducted a preliminary study comparing two audio types to see which best suited sound localization and a study of Audvert used in a real world scenario. Our findings suggest that long continuous audio performs better than short intermittent audio for sound localisation. We also discover a change in behaviour when using the system, with a large percentage of users wanting to visit newly discovered shops after using the system. We discuss the findings and draw research conclusions. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.