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Outputs (140)

Perceptually Aware Communication in High-Risk Environments: A Conceptual Framework (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Perceptually Aware Communication in High-Risk Environments: A Conceptual Framework. Edinburgh Napier University

This paper presents a conceptual framework for perceptually optimised audio communication in high-risk and acoustically challenging environments. Drawing on principles from sound design, auditory ergonomics, and professional communication systems, th... Read More about Perceptually Aware Communication in High-Risk Environments: A Conceptual Framework.

Adaptive Sound Ethics Framework: Consent, Tone, and Respect in Feedback Design (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Adaptive Sound Ethics Framework: Consent, Tone, and Respect in Feedback Design. Geneva, Switzerland (Zenodo is hosted by CERN): Edinburgh Napier University

This technical report outlines an ethical framework for adaptive sound feedback systems grounded in behavioural consent, emotional tone sensitivity, and user autonomy. It introduces novel concepts including passive consent loops, quiet mode, tone mis... Read More about Adaptive Sound Ethics Framework: Consent, Tone, and Respect in Feedback Design.

Stethoscope 2.0: How Everyday Devices Could Help Doctors Listen Differently (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Stethoscope 2.0: How Everyday Devices Could Help Doctors Listen Differently

Traditional diagnostic tools like the stethoscope have long helped clinicians detect signs of illness through direct contact and active listening. In an era of ubiquitous sensing, the diagnostic potential of devices already in common use, smartphones... Read More about Stethoscope 2.0: How Everyday Devices Could Help Doctors Listen Differently.

Stabilising Sound: A Perceptual Audio Framework for Balance Support Inspired by Vestibular Stimulation (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Stabilising Sound: A Perceptual Audio Framework for Balance Support Inspired by Vestibular Stimulation. Edinburgh Napier University

This note outlines a proposal for a perceptual audio system that may help stabilise balance and reduce fall risk using low-frequency sound cues delivered through everyday listening devices. It is inspired by recent findings showing that 100 Hz audito... Read More about Stabilising Sound: A Perceptual Audio Framework for Balance Support Inspired by Vestibular Stimulation.

Perceptually Adaptive Alarm Systems Using Doppler-Based Pitch Modulation (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Perceptually Adaptive Alarm Systems Using Doppler-Based Pitch Modulation. Edinburgh Napier University

This technical note presents a novel alarm system design that uses Doppler-based pitch and amplitude modulation to help people better understand emergency situations through sound alone. By embedding intuitive rising and falling pitch cues into famil... Read More about Perceptually Adaptive Alarm Systems Using Doppler-Based Pitch Modulation.

Perceptual Calibration and Passive Adaptation in Under-Pillow Audio Systems for Sleep and Care Environments (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Perceptual Calibration and Passive Adaptation in Under-Pillow Audio Systems for Sleep and Care Environments

This technical report outlines a perceptually grounded calibration model for under-pillow and near-field audio systems. The approach enables real-time tuning based on how sound is actually perceived through materials like foam and fabric. It supports... Read More about Perceptual Calibration and Passive Adaptation in Under-Pillow Audio Systems for Sleep and Care Environments.

Perceptually Adaptive Speech Clarity System for Reverberant Environments (2025)
Report
McGregor, I. (2025). Perceptually Adaptive Speech Clarity System for Reverberant Environments. Not commissioned – self-initiated research and disclosure

This document outlines a perceptually adaptive audio system designed to improve the intelligibility of spoken announcements in highly reverberant environments. Using speech buffering, pacing modification, spectral shaping, and real-time feedback, the... Read More about Perceptually Adaptive Speech Clarity System for Reverberant Environments.

A Perceptual Approach to HRTF Personalisation: From Localisation to Spatial Literacy (2025)
Report
Mcgregor, I. (2025). A Perceptual Approach to HRTF Personalisation: From Localisation to Spatial Literacy

Efforts to personalise Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) have traditionally focused on anatomical accuracy, modelling the head, ears and torso to predict how sound should reach an individual’s ears. While valuable, such approaches often require... Read More about A Perceptual Approach to HRTF Personalisation: From Localisation to Spatial Literacy.

Optimisation of passive acoustic bird surveys: a global assessment of BirdNET settings (2025)
Preprint / Working Paper
Pérez-Granados, C., Funosas, D., Morant, J., Marín, O. H., Mendoza, I., Mohedano-Muñoz, M. A., Santamaría, E., Bastianelli, G., Márquez-Rodríguez, A., Budka, M., Bota, G., Peña-Rubio, J. M. D. L., Morena, E. G. D. L., Snata-Cruz, M., Nava, P. D. L., Fernández-Tizón, M., Sánchez.Mateos, H., Barrero, A., Traba, J., Osiejuk, T. S., …Sebsatián-González, E. Optimisation of passive acoustic bird surveys: a global assessment of BirdNET settings

BirdNET is a popular machine learning tool for automated recognition of bird sounds. Here we evaluate how BirdNET settings affect the model performance both at vocalization and species levels, using 4,225 one-minute recordings from 67 recording locat... Read More about Optimisation of passive acoustic bird surveys: a global assessment of BirdNET settings.

PEMS: Peoples Experience Of Mountain Soundscapes (2025)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Donato, B. D., & Mcgregor, I. (2025, June). PEMS: Peoples Experience Of Mountain Soundscapes. Presented at Forum Acusticum / Euronoise 2025: 11th Convention of the European Acoustics Association, Málaga, Spain

This study investigates the role of soundscapes in mountain environments, focusing on their contributions to safety, navigation, and environmental understanding. A survey of 219 participants from 27 countries, primarily experienced mountaineers with... Read More about PEMS: Peoples Experience Of Mountain Soundscapes.

Audio Occlusion Experiment Data (2025)
Data
McSeveney, S., Tamariz, M., McGregor, I., Koniaris, B., & Mitchell, K. (2025). Audio Occlusion Experiment Data. [Data]

This dataset comprises anonymous user study participant responses of audio occlusion to investigate presence response of body occlusions in the presence of sound sources in the direct path between the person and the audio driver speaker.

900 Voices (2024)
Exhibition / Performance
Irvine, Z. (2024). 900 Voices. [Sound]. 2 August 2024 - 19 October 2024

900 Voices is a participative sound art project by Zoë Irvine with Lindsay Perth and Jules Rawlinson. It has been commissioned as part of Edinburgh’s St Giles Cathedral’s momentous 900th Anniversary celebrations.

900 Voices is a sound art installa... Read More about 900 Voices.

PEMS: People Experience of Mountain Soundscapes (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Di Donato, B., & McGregor, I. (2024, June). PEMS: People Experience of Mountain Soundscapes. Paper presented at Forum Alpinum 2024, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

This research delves into the intricate relationship between mountain auditory environments and the mountaineering experience, shedding light on the influence of individual sounds and overall soundscapes. While existing studies acknowledge the positi... Read More about PEMS: People Experience of Mountain Soundscapes.

Scottish Mountain Soundscapes (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Di Donato, B., & McGregor, I. (2024, June). Scottish Mountain Soundscapes. Presented at Invited seminar at UniMont, University of Milan, Edolo, Italy

Mountain environments provide an immersive auditory experience shaped by natural forces and human interactions. This seminar presents results from an ongoing project that delves into people’s experiences of mountain soundscapes, with a focus on the i... Read More about Scottish Mountain Soundscapes.

Remote Acoustic Soundscape evaluation using Ambisonic recordings (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Di Donato, B., & McGregor, I. (2023, September). Remote Acoustic Soundscape evaluation using Ambisonic recordings. Paper presented at Basic Auditory Science 2023, London, UK

The Acoustic Soundscape ISO standard has been used in previous work to assess the soundscape during soundwalks. This approach has different results and contributions to the field. However, there are several challenges to this approach, such as logist... Read More about Remote Acoustic Soundscape evaluation using Ambisonic recordings.

Proceedings of the 18th International Audio Mostly Conference (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
(2023, August). Proceedings of the 18th International Audio Mostly Conference. Presented at AM '23: Audio Mostly 2023, Edinburgh

Audio Mostly is an interdisciplinary conference on design and experience of interaction with sound that prides itself on embracing applied theory and reflective practice. Its annual gatherings bring together thinkers and doers from academia and indus... Read More about Proceedings of the 18th International Audio Mostly Conference.

Towards individualised speech enhancement: An SNR preference learning system for multi-modal hearing aids (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Kirton-Wingate, J., Ahmed, S., Gogate, M., Tsao, Y., & Hussain, A. (2023, June). Towards individualised speech enhancement: An SNR preference learning system for multi-modal hearing aids. Presented at 2023 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing Workshops (ICASSPW), Rhodes Island, Greece

Since the advent of deep learning (DL), speech enhancement (SE) models have performed well under a variety of noise conditions. However, such systems may still introduce sonic artefacts, sound unnatural, and restrict the ability for a user to hear am... Read More about Towards individualised speech enhancement: An SNR preference learning system for multi-modal hearing aids.