Project description
Environment-adaptive robot sound solutions for robots in public spaces
Mobile service robots are increasingly present in public spaces. Unlike cars, they move near pedestrians without standardised signalling conventions, raising safety and acceptance concerns. Auditory cues are important because robots may operate outside pedestrians’ field of view or may not be visible to people with visual impairments. Yet locomotion sounds vary widely in perceptibility across robot types, and sounds rated as pleasant can paradoxically be difficult to detect. Static acoustic vehicle alerting systems, as used in electric cars, only partly address this: they are not tuned to human perception, validated for robots or adaptive to ambient noise. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EARS project will advance human-centred, environment-adaptive sound design for mobile robots to improve perceptibility while limiting unnecessary noise.
Objective
Mobile service robots are increasingly present in public space, yet unlike cars they move near pedestrians without standardized signaling conventions. To be safe and accepted, they must be perceptible and pleasant in their communication. Auditory cues are central for this as robots may operate outside pedestrians’ field of view or cannot be seen due to visual impairments. However, robot sounds emitted during locomotion vary widely in perceptibility between robot types, and robot sounds rated as pleasant can paradoxically be the hardest to perceive. Static acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS), as used in electric cars, help only partially to foster perceptibility: they are not sufficiently tuned to perception, are not validated for robots, and do not adapt to ambient noise, thus risking inaudibility in noisy settings or annoyance in quiet ones.
This project advances human-centered, environment-adaptive sound design for mobile robots. I will A) quantify how ambient noise impacts perception of robot sounds in a VR experiment, and B) based on this, build a predictive model linking acoustic features to perception, which will inform C) a framework on implicit auditory communication in public space, and D) the development of a context-adaptive AVAS prototype that adjusts robot sounds to ambient noise. Its effectiveness will be E) tested in a field study including participants with sensory impairment, allowing F) to derive guidelines for accessible design. Finally, I will G) disseminate insights and materials to benefit research, industry, and public audiences.
By combining DTU expertise in human factors and auditory modeling with Chalmers’ applied acoustics and my background in audio-focused mobility studies, experimental psychology, and human-robot interaction, the project will create a unique interdisciplinary bridge that improves robot sound design and equips me with skills to establish independence at the intersection of mobility, psychoacoustics, and robotics.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences psychology
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark
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