mobiSurround: An Auditory User Interface for Geo-Service Delivery

This paper describes original research carried out in the area of Location-Based Services (LBS) with an emphasis on Auditory User Interfaces (AUI) for content delivery. Previous work in this area has focused on accurately determining spatial interactions and informing the user mainly by means of the visual modality. mobiSurround is new research that builds upon these prin‐ ciples with a focus on multimodal content delivery and navigation and in particular the development of an AUI. This AUI enables the delivery of rich media content and natural directions using audio. This novel approach provides a hands free method for navigating a space while experiencing rich media content dynamically constructed using techniques such as phrase synthesis, algorithmic music and 3D soundscaping. This paper outlines the innovative ideas employed in the design and development of the AUI that provides an overall immersive user experience.