Use of 3D Head Shape for Personalized Binaural Audio

Natural-sounding reproduction of sound over headphones requires accurate estimation of an individual’s Head-Related Impulse Responses (HRIRs), capturing details relating to the size and shape of the body, head and ears. A stereo-vision face capture system was used to obtain 3D geometry, which provided surface data for boundary element method (BEM) acoustical simulation. Audio recordings were filtered by the output HRIRs to generate samples for a comparative listening test alongside samples generated with dummy-head HRIRs. Preliminary assessment showed better localization judgements with the personalized HRIRs by the corresponding participant, whereas other listeners performed better with dummy-head HRIRs, which is consistent with expectations for personalized HRIRs. The use of visual measurements for enhancing users’ auditory experience merits investigation with additional participants.