Summary: 1
Enhanced Sound Localization
Bob Mungamuru, Parham Aarabi, Member, IEEE
February 9, 2004 DRAFT

2
Abstract
A new approach to sound localization, known as Enhanced Sound Localization, is introduced, o#ering two major
benefits over state­of­the­art algorithms. First, higher localization accuracy can be achieved compared to existing methods.
Second, an estimate of the source orientation is obtained jointly, as a consequence of the proposed sound localization
technique. The orientation estimates and improved localizations are a result of explicitly modeling the various factors that
a#ect a microphone's level of access to di#erent spatial positions and orientations in an acoustic environment. Three primary
factors are accounted for, namely the source directivity, microphone directivity and source­microphone distances.
Using this model of the acoustic environment, several di#erent Enhanced Sound Localization algorithms are derived.
Experiments are carried out in a real environment whose reverberation time is 0.1 seconds, with the average microphone
SNR ranging between 10­20 dB. Using a 24­element microphone array, a weighted version of the SRP­PHAT algorithm is
found to give an average localization error of 13.7cm with 3.7% anomalies, compared to 14.7cm and 7.8% anomalies with
the standard SRP­PHAT technique.
I. Introduction
Facilitated by the staggering increase in the availability of computational power over the last two

Source: Aarabi, Parham - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto

Collections: Computer Technologies and Information Sciences