Event

Welcome to our SAFER Thursday lunch seminar in which you will get to learn about EARS – Enhanced auditory reality scout!

What is the role of sound in future shared and automated mobility services? EARS develops new solutions that utilize 3D sound and investigates how these impact safety, inclusion, and engagement.

Presenters: Johan Fagerlönn, RISE, Jan Nilsson, Volvo Cars and Niklas Mellegård, Ictech

Abstract: The Enhanced Auditory Reality Scout (EARS) project explores how spatial 3D audio can support safer, more accessible and more engaging experiences in future shared and automated mobility services. As future autonomous travel will offer limited human assistance, placing higher responsibility on users, EARS applies a design-for-all perspective to examine how headphone-based 3D audio with head tracking can offer intuitive, non-visual guidance throughout the full journey, with the particular focus on pedestrian navigation in urban environments.

To investigate how such interaction might unfold in practice, exploratory implementations of key navigation concepts were designed allowing different approaches to be experienced and compared in realistic urban environments. A user study with 30 participants completed by insights from individuals with visual impairments, helped highlight strengths and challenges across different audio strategies. In addition, the project developed and evaluated an app-based demonstrator, complemented by a proposal of technical system architecture mapping existing technologies and data requirements.

Findings of the project show that turn-by-turn audio guidance emerged as the most straightforward and confidence-building method, while more open-ended spatial cues offered a richer and more playful experience, though with higher cognitive demand. Together, the results point to the significant potential of 3D audio to reduce reliance on visual interfaces and contribute to more inclusive mobility ecosystems. 

Practical Information

SAFER Thursday lunch seminars are held both at the SAFER office,  Chalmers Campus Lindholmen, building Saga, room Okeanos or online (Teams).

• In-person attendance: Lunch will be provided at the SAFER office, Chalmers Campus Lindholmen, starting at 11:30 AM. The seminar will then be held in a hybrid format from 12:00 to 12:45 PM. Registration is required for lunch. Please register for lunch by 12:00 PM on the Tuesday before the seminar.
• Online attendance: No registration is needed. Simply join via the Microsoft Teams link sent to all SAFER partners ahead of the event. The seminar is held in a hybrid format from 12:00 to 12:45 PM.

Questions?: Get in touch with our office manager Sophia Guerra Ekesand: ekesand@chalmers.se

This event is open to all SAFER partners. Welcome!