3D sound feedback act as task aid in a virtual assembly environment

The multi-modal information presentation integrated into the virtual environments can stimulate different senses, increase the user´s sense of immersion, and the amount of information accepted and processed by the user. The increase of information may reduce the error and time taken to complete a task. This paper presents our approach for integrating 3D sound into virtual assembly environment for the investigation of the effect of visual and 3D sound feedback on assembly task-performance in virtual environments. A responsive workbench-based experimental platform that brings together technologies such as constraint-based assembly simulation, ultrasonic tracking, and 3D sound generation has been set-up. Several experiments are being conducted to explore and evaluate the effect of neutral, visual, auditory and integrated feedback mechanism on the sense of presence and task performance in the context of assembly simulation in virtual environment.