An “Audio Annotation” Technique for Intuitive Communication in Spatial Tasks

Abstract

Navigating in any environment can be a very tedious task, and it becomes considerably more difficult when the environment is unfamiliar or when it contains threats that could possibly jeopardize the success of the mission. Often in difficult navigation environments there are external sensors present in the area that could provide critical information to the ground operator. The challenge is to find a way to transmit this information to the ground operator in an intuitive, timely, and unambiguous manner. In this study, we explore a technique called “audio annotation” where the sensor information is transmitted to a remote observer who processes it and relays it verbally to an operator on the ground. Spatial information can be conveyed intuitively by using a spatial audio display to project the apparent location of the remote observer's voice to an arbitrary location relative to the ground operator. The current study compared the “audio annotation” technique to standard monaural communications in a task that required a remote observer with a high-level view of the environment to assist a ground operator to avoid threats while locating a downed pilot in an urban environment. The overall performance in the audio annotation condition was found to be superior to the standard monaural condition.