Hearing the World: A Pilot Study Design on Spatial Audio for the Visually Impaired

Research on using auditory virtual reality (VR) to aid navigation and cognitive spatial understanding for visually impaired people (VIP) has advanced significantly over the past two decades. Studies show that spatial audio and voice cues can enhance the perception of object orientation and distance in VR, improving navigation for VIP. While voice cues are commonly used, they struggle with dynamic environments and can cause fatigue and cognitive overload. This pilot study design aims to explore new perspectives on accessible audio design for VIP by evaluating VIP volunteers’ recognition and memory of scenes simulated by two types of spatial audio: voice descriptions and sounds of human-object interaction (Material Sounds); mixed methods including NASA-TLX scales and EEG analysis will be used to assess cognitive load.