Synthesizing non-speech sound to support blind and visually impaired computer users

This paper describes work in progress on automatic generation of impact sounds based on physical modelling. These sounds can be used as non-speech audio presentation of objects and as interaction-mechanisms to non visual interfaces. In this paper especially we present the complete physical model for impact sounds spherical objects hitting flat plates or beams . The results of analysing of some examples of recorded (digitised) impact sounds and their comparisons with some theoretical aspects are discussed in this paper. These results are supposed to be used as input for the next phases of our audio framework project. The objective of this research project (joint project university of Zurich and swiss federal institute of technology) is to develop a concept, methods and a prototype for an audio framework. This audio framework shall describe sounds on a highly abstract semantic level. Every sound is to be described as the result of one or several interactions between one or several objects at a certain place and in a certain environmen