  Objective: Three perceptually orthogonal auditory dimensions for
multidimensional and multivariate data sonification are identified and
experimentally validated. Background: Psychoacoustic investigations have shown
that orthogonal acoustical parameters may interfere perceptually. The
literature hardly offers any solutions to this problem, and previous auditory
display approaches have failed to implement auditory dimensions that are
perceived orthogonally by a user. In this study we demonstrate how a location
in three-dimensional space can be sonified unambiguously by the implementation
of perceptually orthogonal psychoacoustic attributes in monophonic playback.
Method: Perceptually orthogonal auditory attributes are identified from
literature research and experience in music and psychoacoustic research. We
carried out an experiment with 21 participants who identified sonified
locations in two-dimensional space. Results: With just 5 minutes of explanation
and exploration, naive users can interpret our multidimensional sonification
with high accuracy. Conclusion: We identified a set of perceptually orthogonal
auditory dimensions suitable for three-dimensional data sonification.
Application: Three-dimensional data sonification promises blind navigation,
e.g. for unmanned vehicles, and reliable real-time monitoring of multivariate
data, e.g., in the patient care sector.
