Augmented reality (AR) application development with 3D sound effects

• Main Author: Cheong, Darren Zheng Ann
• Other Authors: Gan Woon Seng
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Computer applications::Computer-aided engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/149605
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Augmented Reality (AR) is a cutting-edge technology that allows users to get a more detailed perspective of their surroundings by bringing computer-generated images or objects into the physical world. It helps users to see and communicate with simulated objects as if they were in the real world. The incorporation of 3D sound effects to computer-generated images or objects improves the immersive experience created by this type of technology. AR technologies can be planned and built for a variety of uses in a variety of industries using this technology. In this project, a real-time soundscape design application was created using Microsoft HoloLens 1, Unity, and Microsoft Visual Studio to assist urban planners and soundscape practitioners in designing the soundscape of a park in a busy city with high traffic volumes. The aim is to use natural park sounds produced by sound speakers to drown out unwelcome traffic noises. Urban architects and soundscape professionals will use this AR application to incorporate holograms with their related 3D sound effects into a specific park setting during the design stage. They can also change the sound settings of these 3D sound effects virtually to a desired volume level pleasant to user’s ears.Sound speakers may then be used by urban designers and soundscape experts to reproduce these 3D sound effects. This sound speakers will then be positioned in the park by embedding them into physical 3D models. As a result, urban planners and soundscape professionals could explore virtually before constructing actual 3D structures of sound speakers, saving time and money at the design stage.