A WHISPER IN THE WOODS AN AMBIENT SOUNDSCAPE FOR PERIPHERAL AWARENESS OF REMOTE PROCESSES                 

Fredrik Kilander, Peter Lonnqvist
Department of Computer and Systems Sciences    
Stockholm University/KTH           
Forum 100, SE-164 40 KISTA, Sweden        
{fk, peterl}@dsv.su.se        

ABSTRACT
The concept of a weakly intrusive ambient soundscape WI(SP) is   
presented as a means to provide a peripheral awareness of processes 
beyond a user's immediate attention. The WISP is a component 
in a larger environment for ubiquitous computing, centered 
around a conference room scenario. The experiences from   
a demonstration prototype indicate that the choice of sounds and                
the intensity of their presentation can greatly influence the way
theWISP is perceived. The work relates in various ways to the   
sonification of data and audio-based techniques for maintaining 
peripheral awareness.                                          




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