Synthetic individual binaural audio delivery by pinna image processing

Purpose \u2013 The purpose of this paper is to present a system for customized binaural audio delivery based on the extraction of relevant features from a 2-D representation of the listener\u2019s pinna. Design/methodology/approach \u2013 The most significant pinna contours are extracted by means of multi-flash imaging, and they provide values for the parameters of a structural head-related transfer function (HRTF) model. The HRTF model spatializes a given sound file according to the listener\u2019s head orientation, tracked by sensor-equipped headphones, with respect to the virtual sound source. Findings \u2013 A preliminary localization test shows that the model is able to statically render the elevation of a virtual sound source better than non-individual HRTFs. Research limitations/implications \u2013 Results encourage a deeper analysis of the psychoacoustic impact that the individualized HRTF model has on perceived elevation of virtual sound sources. Practical implications \u2013 The model has low complexity and is suitable for implementation on mobile devices. The resulting hardware/software package will hopefully allow an easy and low-tech fruition of custom spatial audio to any user. Originality/value \u2013 The authors show that custom binaural audio can be successfully deployed without the need of cumbersome subjective measurements