Evaluation de la sonifcation d'un système multimédia automobile

An automotive multimedia system that would be sonified should offer to the driver the possibility to interact with this system without his eyes, having thus a better visual focus on the road. The sonification should indeed facilitate the discovery of the system and the navigation within the menu tree. We have prepared a prototype to test with users the efficiency and acceptability of the sonification, made by hierarchical sounds, vocal synthesis, spearcons (compressed vocal synthesis), musical samples and feeback sounds. Our results confirm that sonification is interesting. Even if it doesn't allow to navigate and to reach the data faster, the participants want to keep it as they find their driving safer. Vocal synthesis and hierarchical sounds used on the first menu levels are the most helpful sounds with the alphabetical letters used in the long list of data. Hybrid sounds, composed of earcons and auditory icons, are prefered to orchestra sounds (musems) because the link to the fonction is more intuitive. Spearcons are not appreciated because they are not understood and do not help the positioning in the lists of data. Feedback sounds are appreciated all along the navigation, in particular the sound of scrolling and the sound « end of the list / empty list ».