McMullen Uses 3D Audio Rendering and Perception to Aid Firefighters

Kyla McMullen, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering at the University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, believes the use of 3D sounds can help firefighters find their way when visual conditions are impeded. With a system developed by McMullen, the responder would hear unique 3D audio cues representing the locations of targets of interest, such as victims, exits, fire panels and water sources.