Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!uw-beaver!milton!lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu
From: lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (a.k.a. Chri)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Sensory Modalities (was Re: Musical Virtual Worlds)
Message-ID: <11699@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 26 Nov 90 16:44:30 GMT
References: <1990Nov13.213038.27046@cpsc.ucalgary.ca> <11370@milton.u.washington
Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene
Lines: 35
Approved: hitl@hardy.u.washington.edu


yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes:
>[...] I think that the focus of VR has
>been on the visual modality because vision is a more information-rich
>domain than sound.  Sound is a one-dimensional medium while vision is
>two-dimensional (two-and-a-half-dimensional for stereo vision).  To
>put this in more psychological terms -- you can extract much more
>detailed spatial information about your world by looking around with
>your ears plugged than you can by listening with your eyes closed.

This is more likely due to the relatively poor hearing of humans.
Other animals (owls, cats, etc.) are able to do much more with their
hearing than we can.  Some animals, such as bats, rely almost
exclusively on hearing to define shapes and objects.  I am not sure
how much practicality this has for VR (unless one wants to stick their
pet in a VR ... I can't see my cat being very happy with stereo
goggles and powergloves on! ;-).  However, do not underestimate the
complexity of sound; music and spoken language both depend heavily on
it, and spoken language (especially in oral traditions) can be
amazingly complex and rich.

Another point that I would like to touch on is that sound is not
simply "one-dimensional" as is implied in the above quote.  There is a
strong temporal dimension as well.  For example, there is no music if
there is no temporal dimension.  Much of the complexity of sound is
due completely to the temporal aspects.  Another example: language
would not exist without the temporal aspect of sound.  I think that
many interface designers (whether it be GUI's or VR's) think sound is
too simple, and neglect to include it, which is a shame.

-- 
Christopher Lishka 608-262-4485     We carry in our hearts the true country,
Wisconsin State Lab. of Hygiene     And that cannot be stolen.
   lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu        We follow in the steps of our ancestry,
   uunet!uwvax!uwslh!lishka         And that cannot be broken.  --  Midnight Oil