Augmented Human

Chapter 4. Audio and Hearables

Sound enables us to be present in our environment, or it can transport us somewhere else. By listening, we can generate “a theatre of the mind,” where we use our imagination to construct visual elements, and even time travel. In many ways, we are already augmenting the sounds of our environment: the man on the busy train who hears nothing but the hum of his noise-cancelling headphones, or the woman who listens to her favorite rock music during take-off and landing. The future of augmented audio will take us beyond blocking out life’s “noise” and into more purposeful and impactful experiences with sound.

“When people talk about Augmented Reality (AR), they usually think it’s about visuals that are put on top of the camera image. It’s always a visual thing. But not many people think that the same can be done with sound,” said¹ Michael Breidenbruecker, cofounder of Last.fm and founder of RjDj (Reality Jockey Ltd.). The misconception that AR is just visual is still true today, but audio can create an experience that is highly transportive and transformative, without the need for augmented visuals.

Sound can be integrated with other senses in AR, or used on its own. It can help you to navigate and receive information, immerse you in an experience, engage your imagination through new modes of play, and customize your environment. This chapter explores each of these areas as well as “hearable” consumer devices (wireless technology worn on the ear), a new ...