Physically based real-time modeling of contact sounds

In the following the theory, background and practical use of several real-time sound models of contact scenarios are described. The common audio synthesis core is an algorithm derived from a physically-based impact model, where the acoustic characteristics of colliding objects can be realistically simulated by properly adjusting the physical parameters of the model. Techniques of parameter adjustment are explained for the expression of attributes of ecological hearing, in particular material and position of interaction, starting from physical and/or acoustical specifications. It is shown that in final combination with relevant higherlevel structures an efficient implementation of various expressive sound objects is reached. The intuitive practical usability of the models, running in real-time on low cost platforms, is demonstrated, underlining the potential of benefit for a wide range of applications.