Enhancing Telephone Communication in the Vehicle Through Audio from the Headrest: A Comparison Study

Abstract

The distraction potential of communication systems in the automotive context necessitates hands-free and attention undemanding systems. Today's hands-free car kits are of increasingly high quality, since bad audio quality can negatively impact the overall communication quality. Most solutions use built-in speakers for output and a microphone near the driver (e.g. on the ceiling). Thereby, audio quality can suffer e.g. from the long distance between the speaker and the listener. In a recent study, we compared perceived voice quality and social presence of a prototype with speakers installed in the headrest of a vehicle, to a high-end on-board audio system in a communication situation between a person sitting in the driver's seat and a person outside the vehicle. We found that Personal Audio received generally better results while also introducing its own set of issues, e.g., causing spatial disorientation in communication situations, in which other individuals are present in the car.