BEAMFORMING WITH KINECT V2

Microphone array measurements in combination with beamforming techniques are often used for acoustic source localization. The sound pressure obtained at different microphone positions are mapped by these techniques to a planar or a surface map. The mapping result named as beamform map, indicates the location and strength of acoustic sources. For this mapping process the distance between the sound source or device under test (DUT), and the microphone positions must be known. To determine these distances the Microsoft Kinect for Windows v2 (Kinect V2) is used. The Kinect V2 sensor allows acquiring RGB, infrared (IR) and depth images. The depth images are evaluated and the required distances are computed. The distance is measured contactless, and also the surface of the DUT can be reconstructed through the depth images. Furthermore, the RGB image is used as an underlying layer of the beamform map. The applicability of the source mapping process using the Kinect V2 is demonstrated and the characteristics of the sensor are discussed.