Spatial Audio

Audio technology that creates the perception of sound coming from specific locations in three-dimensional space around the listener, using techniques such as head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), binaural rendering, and ambisonics. In accessibility, spatial audio can convey information about the layout and structure of interfaces to blind users — for example, presenting menu items as sounds positioned in different locations, or using spatial separation to help users distinguish between multiple simultaneous speech streams. Research on the cocktail party effect shows that spatial separation is one of the strongest cues for segregating competing audio sources, making it valuable for non-visual interfaces that present information in parallel.