2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Morpho-acoustic sensitivity analysis of the human outer ear
| Project/Area Number |
17K00260
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| Research Institution | Toyama Prefectural University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | FDTD simulation / Reflection coefficient / Sensitivity analysis / Pinna geometry / Spatial hearing |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
During the 2021 fiscal year, with my FDTD simulation program and a human pinna model we calculated acoustic sensitivity to local changes in surface reflection coefficient. Sensitivity maps were obtained for PRTF first-notch N1 amplitude, at several elevation angles in the median plane (Hirota et al., 2021). Using the map for the front direction, by gradually reducing the reflection coefficient at a selected group of surface voxels we were able to deepen N1 (and N2) by more than 30 dB (Mokhtari et al., 2022). In parallel, by acoustic measurement we made a preliminary investigation of the effects on HRTF peaks and notches, of gradually reducing the 3D resolution of a physical head model (Morikawa et al., 2022). Research results were thus reported in 3 papers presented at the ASJ meetings.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
Progress in the 2021 fiscal year was quite reasonable and resulted in 3 conference papers. However the project as a whole is in a period of extension and may therefore be regarded as somewhat delayed with respect to the initial plans.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In fiscal year 2022, the PRTF notch amplitude sensitivity analyses will be extended to various elevation angles in the median plane. Results will be presented at the forthcoming International Congress on Acoustics (ICA, Oct 2022, as an invited paper to the structured session on Spatial Hearing). In particular, we plan to determine whether PRTF notches at elevation angles other than 0 deg (in front) can also be deepened, and whether the required pattern of reflection coefficient modifications are common or different across elevation angles.
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| Causes of Carryover |
As all presentations were made online due to the Covid-19 situation, conference fees involved only paper registration and attendance fees, and there were no travel expenses. Thus, 44,818 Yen remains to be transferred to the 2022 fiscal year. I plan to use this amount to offset the expenses for presentation at ICA in Oct 2022.
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