Wave-based Room Acoustics Modeling

Informations projet

WRAM

N° de convention de subvention: 737574

DOI

10.3030/737574

Projet clôturé

Date de signature de la CE 15 Novembre 2016

Date de début 1 Decembre 2016

Date de fin 31 Mai 2018

Financé au titre de

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Coût total

€ 149 138,00

Contribution de l’UE

€ 149 138,00

Coordonné par

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WRAM (Wave-based Room Acoustics Modeling)

Période du rapport: 2016-12-01 au 2018-05-31

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

The Wave-based Room Acoustics Modeling (WRAM) project has been concerned with bringing the latest scientific advances in the area of virtual room acoustics modelling to the marketplace. The idea is to render the acoustic behaviour of a specified space – such as a cathedral, concert hall, or even more routine areas such as workplace environments – to a degree which is perceptually transparent to the listener. The applications are many: to building and architectural acoustics, virtual reality, and computer game audio.

Current approaches to virtual room acoustics modelling rely on simplifications of the theory of acoustic wave propagation to geometrical acoustics (e.g. ray tracing). Though common in computer graphics applications, in acoustics, such simplifications neglect many important features, such as the diffraction of sound waves around objects or corners. A complete model of virtual acoustics must retain the wave nature of the underlying theory. In practice, this required a detailed volumetric model of the space itself, down to a resolution of approximately one centimetre. Computational costs are quite high, but within the realm of possibility on modern parallel computers. In WRAM, the world’s first general audio-rate room acoustics simulation system has been put into place, operating on a GPU server.

The system is now operational as a web-based service, accepting input data in the form of standard 3D room models (Sketchup, e.g.) and produces room impulse responses, suitable for analysis of proposed architectural designs, or auralisations (virtual walkthroughs). A spinout company, Roomerical, has been registered, and will launch in October, 2018. Clients will include major multinational building acoustics and architecture firms.