Sounding objects

Interactive systems, virtual environments, and information display applications need dynamic sound models rather than faithful audio reproductions. This implies three levels of research: auditory perception, physics-based sound modeling, and expressive parametric control. Parallel progress along these three lines leads to effective auditory displays that can complement or substitute visual displays. This article aims to shed some light on how psychologists, computer scientists, acousticians, and engineers can work together and address these and other questions arising in sound design for interactive multimedia systems.