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“There are many applications for what we are trying to do, but especially in desktop computer environments, where you want the best sound possible but can’t have speakers hanging everywhere,” says Brian MacDonald, a senior electrical engineering major from Lansdale, Pa., and a graduate of North Penn High School. “You want realistic sound for video games, movies, and other video applications on your computer.”
The sound quality of video games may improve thanks to the research of Brian MacDonald.
In his senior honors project under the direction of Ismail I. Jouny, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, MacDonald is striving to simulate three-dimensional surround-sound using only two loudspeakers.
“I am developing a sound system where, instead of using all-around speakers, say as many as a hundred, I will able to simulate intense, pure, clearsound with just two speakers,” MacDonald explains. “There are many applications for what we are trying to do, but especially in desktop computer environments, where you want the best sound possible but can’t have speakers hanging everywhere. You want realistic sound for video games, movies, and other video applications on your computer.”
“Brian is trying to replicate how a human being hears sound, trying to change or alter what comes out of the speakers as 3-D sounds, reverberations, reflections, and disturbances,” Jouny explains, adding that the project combines hard science with psychology. “He is also emulating how the ear canal processes sound, why we hear the way that we do, how we perceive the world around us.”
MacDonald says, “Right now I’m creating computer models, trying to simulate the design. I am simulating what has been done in the past, examining the research literature, making sure what they say is valid, and doing background literature.
“I am excited to do something with sound and signal processing,” he continues. “It’s a new field. At a small school like Lafayette, you get to do groundbreaking research as an undergraduate. Doctoral students at schools like MIT and Berkeley are working on the same topic.
“I’d be pleased to make an improvement on current systems, fine-tuning the current technology and making systems more cost-efficient,” he adds.
This is not the first time MacDonald has worked closely with Jouny. Last summer, as an EXCEL Scholar, MacDonald assisted Jouny on a research in advanced cellular technology. In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, students collaborate with faculty members on research projects while earning a stipend.
“Brian has an analytical mind and strong perseverance,” Jouny says. “He is one of my top students. He represents the sort of student we try and prepare for the real world.”
Another Side of Brian
He is a member of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, and the Lafayette chapter of IEEE, the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He also plays goaltender on the club hockey team.