An Auditory Display to Convey Urgency Information in Industrial Control Rooms

Auditory warning signals are common features in industrial control rooms. Finding sound signals that convey higher degrees of urgency while keeping the potential for annoyance low is challenging. In the present study, evaluations were performed on four different types of auditory displays. The displays were all designed to convey three levels of urgency. The examination focused on the following questions: (1) “How reliably can the operators identify the three levels of urgency?” and (2) “How annoying do the operators find the sound signals?”. Fourteen operators participated in the study. For every signal within each auditory display, the participants were asked to rate the level of urgency and annoyance. The results show that one can design auditory displays that employ appropriate urgency mapping while the perceived annoyance is kept at a low level. The work also suggests that involving the end users in the design process could be advantageous