Head-related transfer function synthesis for immersive audio

Immersive audio systems are being envisioned for applications that include teleconferencing and telepresence; augmented and virtual reality for manufacturing and entertainment; air traffic control, pilot warning, and guidance systems; displays for the visually- or aurally-impaired; home entertainment; distance learning; and professional sound and picture editing for television and film. The principal function of such systems is to synthesize, manipulate, and render sound fields in real time. In this paper we examine the limitations that are inherent in spatial sound delivery over loudspeakers and propose a method that generates virtual sound sources based on synthetic head-related transfer functions with the same spectral characteristics as those of the real source.