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Abstract

We conducted an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of spatial audio displays on target acquisition performance. Participants performed a visual search task with and without the aid of a spatial audio display. Potential target locations ranged between plus and minus 180° in azimuth and from -70° to +90° in elevation. Independent variables included the number of visual distractors present (1, 5, 10, 25, 50) and the spatial audio condition (no spatial audio, free-field spatial audio, virtual spatial audio). Results indicated that both free-field and virtual audio cues engendered a significant decrease in search times. Potential applications of this research include the design of spatial audio displays for aircraft cockpits and ground combat vehicles.

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Aurally Aided Visual Search in Three-Dimensional Space

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