3D sound source localization system based on learning of binaural hearing

We have thus far developed two types of sound source localization system, one of which can localize the horizontal direction and the other the vertical direction. These systems can acquire the localization ability by self-organization through repetition of movement and perception. In this paper, we report a newly built sound source localization system that can detect the direction of a sound source arbitrarily located in front of it. This system is composed of a robot that has two microphones with reflectors corresponding to human's pinnas. To acquire the horizontal direction, the interaural time difference is used as the auditory cue. To acquire the vertical direction, the features on the audio spectrum induced by the reflectors are used as the auditory cue. The robot can establish the relationship between the cues and the sound direction through learning.