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18 2. The Human Senses and VR
2.2 Human Auditory System
Our ears form the most obvious part of our auditory system, guiding sound
waves into the auditory canal.
• The canal itself enhances the sounds we hear and directs them to the
eardrum.
• The eardr um converts the sound waves into mechanical vibrations.
• In the middle ear, three tiny bones amplify slight sounds by a factor of
30.
• The inner ear changes the mechanical vibrations into electrochemical
signals which can then be processed by the brain.
• The electrochemical signals are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve.
Humans have three different types of sound cues. Interaural time differ-
ence is a measure of the difference in time between when a sound enters our
left ear and when it ...