Soundscape From an Audio- Visual Perspective : A study on how visual feedback affects our perception of a soundscape

Sammanfattning: The soundscape is a multi-sensory experience of an area. Previous research in the field has shown a positive correlation between designing with both audio and visual feedback for an increased perceived environmental pleasantness. With growing computer power, the possibilities of analysing audio increase the number of ways visual feedback can be adapted. However, little research has been done on the implementation of digital audio-visual computing for enhanced pleasantness of our sonic environment. This paper will therefore serve as a first step of investigating soundscapes from an audio-visual and digital perspective. A particle system was developed and tested in a user study in a static, moving and audio-reactive manner relative to a given soundscape. Quantitative analysis showed a decreased perception of negative sounds in an audio-reactive particle system, reactive to the positive sounds in the soundscape, compared to the static condition. Qualitative assessment indicated that different visual feedback shifts attention to specific sound sources, but the overall perception of the soundscape that leads to are varying. The findings in this study are useful for urban planners and designers who wish to explore soundscapes from a cross-disciplinary and multi-modal point of view.