Visual-auditory Volume Rendering of Scalar Fields

Abstract

This paper describes a novel approach to visual-auditory volume rendering of continuous scalar fields. The proposed method uses well-established similarities in light transfer and sound propagation modelling to extend the visual scalar field data analysis with auditory attributes. We address the visual perception limitations of existing volume rendering techniques and show that they can be handled by auditory analysis. In particular, we describe a practical application to demonstrate how the proposed approach may keep the researcher aware of the visual perception issues in colour mapping and help track and detect geometrical features and symmetry break, issues that are important in the context of interpretation of the physical phenomena.