Design and Evaluation of a Web- and Mobile-based Binaural Audio Platform for Cultural Heritage
File(s)applsci-11-01540-v2.pdf (4.17 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Comunita, marco
Gerino, Andrea
Lim, Veranika
Picinali, Lorenzo
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
PlugSonic is a suite of web- and mobile-based applications for the curation and experience of 3D interactive soundscapes and sonic narratives in the cultural heritage context. It was developed as part of the PLUGGY EU project (Pluggable Social Platform for Heritage Awareness and Participation) and consists of two main applications: PlugSonic Sample, to edit and apply audio effects, and PlugSonic Soundscape, to create and experience 3D soundscapes for headphones playback. The audio processing within PlugSonic is based on the Web Audio API and the 3D Tune-In Toolkit, while the mobile exploration of soundscapes in a physical space is obtained using Apple’s ARKit. The main goal of PlugSonic is technology democratisation; PlugSonic users—whether cultural institutions or citizens—are all given the instruments needed to create, process and experience 3D soundscapes and sonic narratives; without the need for specific devices, external tools (software and/or hardware), specialised knowledge or custom development. The aims of this paper are to present the design and development choices, the user involvement processes as well as a final evaluation conducted with inexperienced users on three tasks (creation, curation and experience), demonstrating how PlugSonic is indeed a simple, effective, yet powerful tool.
Date Issued
2021-02-08
Date Acceptance
2021-02-02
Citation
Applied Sciences, 2021, 11 (4)
ISSN
2076-3417
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Applied Sciences
Volume
11
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2021 by the authors. Li-censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This article is an open access articledistributed under the terms and con-ditions of the Creative Commons At-tribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Sponsor
European Commission
Grant Number
Contract No 726765
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
Chemistry
Engineering
Materials Science
Physics
binaural spatialisation
spatial audio
cultural heritage
digital heritage
sonic narratives
soundscapes
web audio
augmented reality
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 1540