An Investigation of the Influence of Ambient Noise on User Experience in Virtual Reality

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Although there are several aspects that might impact one's feeling of immersion or presence in a virtual environment, noises in the actual world are often overlooked. Distractions (such as noises or lights) may have an effect on a person's mental or emotional state in real life, and these interruptions can be disturbing while trying to focus on work. With a steady stream of distractions, one may eventually lose interest and make mistakes or stop the activity. The goal of this research is to better understand the impact of various ambient sounds on presence, immersion, and decision-making by using virtual reality and audio rendering technology. This study's sound sources were obtained and recorded from several real-life sources before being mixed into the virtual world. These audio recordings have been shown to influence a person's decision-making skills by generating a sudden shift in different emotional states (such as annoyance and anger). In certain circumstances, binaural recording is used to provide the listener with a 3D stereo sound experience. They were triggered at random intervals while the user was in the virtual environment. Based on the findings of the study presented in this paper, some types of noises, such as continuous and impulsive noise, have a negative impact on user experience by reducing immersion in the virtual reality environment. It was also discovered that the more interaction there was, the more mental work was required to complete the activities.

Recommended citation: Kojic, T., Vergari, M., Vona, F., Voigt-Antons, J.-N. & Möller, S. (2023, June). An Investigation of the Influence of Ambient Noise on User Experience in Virtual Reality. Paper presented at the 15th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX 2023), Ghent, Belgium. https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX58391.2023.10178532