an Audio Augmented Reality Query

I have thought occasionally about wayfinding applications of surround sound presented over headphones – using a bunch of filters (called Head Related Transfer Functions) to replicate the experience of 3D sound but using only a stereo signal over headphones. As you may know using HRTF you can get very good surround sound – it’s used by games such as Papa Sangre – but can be made more accurate and effective with customised filters for an individual person.

The RNIB see benefit in looking at audio related wayfinding apps for mobile phones with GPS and wanted to know what I could do for them so I started thinking about how sighted people find their way round a strange place.

Then I thought about hardware to make it happen. It would need

Ars Electronica visit

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Ars Electronica Centre in Linz, Austria with a view to working with them in our MediaCityUK activity.

Ars Electronica started life as an electronic arts festival and has expanded rapidly since building a dedicated centre with exhibition space, public engagement and research activity. The model used for their research – that of putting together trans-disciplinary teams that can bring unique solutions to problem – is one that is core to research at our new building at MediaCityUK and ahead of our opening in autumn this year it seemed a good time to talk.