FURI | Fall 2020

The Use of Spatial Audio as a Navigation Aid for the Visually Impaired

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Spatialized audio gives the user the perception that there is sound coming from a source in a 3D environment. Meteor Studio has developed an algorithm that enables the spatialization of audio through two speakers, which is done by eliminating crosstalk generated from the two speakers. Crosstalk comes from unwanted interference from the opposing audio channel played from the opposite speaker. Development thus far has been developing a distributed IoT smart speaker system with various Raspberry Pi’s. These networked speakers will work together to deliver spatialized audio to a moving user. Potential applications of this technology can be applied to assist the visually impaired, by creating sounds to guide them throughout a space.

Student researcher

Anish Narsipur

Computer systems engineering

Hometown: Princeton, New Jersey, United States

Graduation date: Fall 2022