EnvironZen: Immersive Soundscapes via Augmented Footstep Sounds in Urban Areas

Abstract Urban environments are often characterized by loud and annoying sounds. Noise-cancelling headphones can suppress negative influences and superimpose the acoustic environment with audio-augmented realities (AAR). So far, AAR exhibited limited interactivity, e. g., being influenced by the location of the listener. In this paper we explore the superimposition of synchronized, augmented footstep sounds in urban AAR environments with noise-cancelling headphones. In an online survey, participants rated different soundscapes and sound augmentations. This served as a basis for selecting and designing soundscapes and augmentations for a subsequent in-situ field study in an urban environment with 16 participants. We found that the synchronous footstep feedback of our application EnvironZen contributes to creating a relaxing and immersive soundscape. Furthermore, we found that slightly delaying footstep feedback can be used to slow down walking and that particular footstep sounds can serve as intuitive navigation cues.