Real-time Sound Localization With a Binaural Head-system Using a Biologically-inspired Cue-triple Mapping

Abstract

We present a sound localization system that operates in real-time, calculates three binaural cues (IED, UD, and ITD) and integrates them in a biologically inspired fashion to a combined localization estimation. Position information is furthermore integrated over frequency channels and time. The localization system controls a head motor to fovealize on and track the dominant sound source. Due to an integrated noise-reduction module the system shows robust localization capabilities even in noisy conditions. Real-time performance is gained by multi-threaded parallel operation across different machines using a timestamp-based synchronization scheme to compensate for processing delays