Investigating Noise Mitigation Methods for Real-World Soundscapes Reconstructed in Virtual Reality Using Spatial Audio Technology

The use of virtual and extended reality technologies within the field of soundscape assessment and architectural acoustics has allowed for a new and more cost-effective way of exploring and analysing both existing and planned built environments. This study explores possible uses of virtual reality technology paired with spatial audio reproduction as a tool to analyse and optimise real-world soundscapes in in-door public urban environments. Specifically, this study investigates how a number of adjustments to a virtual recreation of a real-world grocery store location are perceived by individuals observing the environment through virtual reality, focusing on the mitigation and elimination of unwanted noise. Through this, the study attempts to answer the question of how unwanted noise in an existing real-world environment can be mitigated or eliminated in a virtual reality environment using spatial audio. A 3D reconstruction of a real-world location was recreated in the game engine Unity, and was then used together with a spatial audio rendering plugin to simulate hypothetical changes that could be made to the sound environment of the real-world location. Variations that added music to the environment or lowered the frequency of the sources of noise were found to most effectively mitigate noise annoyance, while attempts at using sounds from nature (birds chirping) largely had the opposite effect. The results align with previous studies on music in public shopping environments as well as studies on the use of birdsong in urban environments. This study concludes that the effectiveness of noise mitigation methods in VR largely mirror their real-life counterparts. Furthermore, we conclude that while VR is an effective tool for soundscape assessment, careful design is necessary in order to ensure that the environment actually reflects the conditions of real-world environments. Suggestions for areas of further research are also made.