Immersive audio rendering for interactive virtual architectural Environments

Abstract

In this study we investigate sound propagation methods in virtual architectural environments for spatialized audio rendering to use in immersive virtual reality (VR) scenarios. During the last few decades, sound propagation models have been designed and investigated for virtual architectural structures, using geometrical approach (GA) and hybrid techniques. For sound propagation, it is required to design fast simulation tools to incorporate a sufficient number of dynamically moving sound sources and receivers, room acoustical properties, and reflections and diffractions from interactively changing surface elements in VR environments. Using physically based models, we achieve a reasonable trade-off between sound quality and system performance. Furthermore, we describe the sound rendering pipeline into a virtual scene in order to simulate virtual scenarios.