title: Multichannel spatial auditory display for speech communications.
abstract: A spatial auditory display for multiple speech communications was developed at NASA/Ames Research Center.  Input is spatialized by the use of simplified head-related transfer functions, adapted for FIR filtering on Motorola 56001 digital signal processors.  Hardware and firmware design implementations are overviewed for the initial prototype developed for NASA-Kennedy Space Center.  An adaptive staircase method was used to determine intelligibility levels of four-letter call signs used by launch personnel at NASA against diotic speech babble.  Spatial positions at 30 degrees azimuth increments were evaluated.  The results from eight subjects showed a maximum intelligibility improvement of about 6-7 dB when the signal was spatialized to 60 or 90 degrees azimuth positions.
authors.affiliation: Aerospace Human Factors Research Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Begault
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erbe
mesh_terms: D001307:Auditory Perception; D003142:Communication; D003201:Computers; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D012984:Software; D013065:Speech Intelligibility