UltrasonicSpheres: Localized, Multi-Channel Sound Spheres Using Off-the-Shelf Speakers and Earables

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Küttner, Michael, Zitz, Valeria, Gerling, Kathrin, Beigl, Michael, Röddiger, Tobias
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Küttner, Michael
Zitz, Valeria
Gerling, Kathrin
Beigl, Michael
Röddiger, Tobias
author_facet Küttner, Michael
Zitz, Valeria
Gerling, Kathrin
Beigl, Michael
Röddiger, Tobias
contents We present a demo of UltrasonicSpheres, a novel system for location-specific audio delivery using wearable earphones that decode ultrasonic signals into audible sound. Unlike conventional beamforming setups, UltrasonicSpheres relies on single ultrasonic speakers to broadcast localized audio with multiple channels, each encoded on a distinct ultrasonic carrier frequency. Users wearing our acoustically transparent earphones can demodulate their selected stream, such as exhibit narrations in a chosen language, while remaining fully aware of ambient environmental sounds. The experience preserves spatial audio perception, giving the impression that the sound originates directly from the physical location of the source. This enables personalized, localized audio without requiring pairing, tracking, or additional infrastructure. Importantly, visitors not equipped with the earphones are unaffected, as the ultrasonic signals are inaudible to the human ear. Our demo invites participants to explore multiple co-located audio zones and experience how UltrasonicSpheres supports unobtrusive delivery of personalized sound in public spaces.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_02715
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle UltrasonicSpheres: Localized, Multi-Channel Sound Spheres Using Off-the-Shelf Speakers and Earables
Küttner, Michael
Zitz, Valeria
Gerling, Kathrin
Beigl, Michael
Röddiger, Tobias
Sound
Human-Computer Interaction
Audio and Speech Processing
We present a demo of UltrasonicSpheres, a novel system for location-specific audio delivery using wearable earphones that decode ultrasonic signals into audible sound. Unlike conventional beamforming setups, UltrasonicSpheres relies on single ultrasonic speakers to broadcast localized audio with multiple channels, each encoded on a distinct ultrasonic carrier frequency. Users wearing our acoustically transparent earphones can demodulate their selected stream, such as exhibit narrations in a chosen language, while remaining fully aware of ambient environmental sounds. The experience preserves spatial audio perception, giving the impression that the sound originates directly from the physical location of the source. This enables personalized, localized audio without requiring pairing, tracking, or additional infrastructure. Importantly, visitors not equipped with the earphones are unaffected, as the ultrasonic signals are inaudible to the human ear. Our demo invites participants to explore multiple co-located audio zones and experience how UltrasonicSpheres supports unobtrusive delivery of personalized sound in public spaces.
title UltrasonicSpheres: Localized, Multi-Channel Sound Spheres Using Off-the-Shelf Speakers and Earables
topic Sound
Human-Computer Interaction
Audio and Speech Processing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02715