Orchestration of information and warning sounds in a car.

Abstract: This report presents how new information and warning sounds in a car
were created and tested, to see what makes a chime understandable, premium
and suitable for a Volvo. Premium is in this thesis defined as high
quality and luxury.

The amount of information to the driver is increasing and thus also the
necessity of methods to make it possible for the driver to understand and
respond to the message in a correct way without disturbing the driving.
The sounds should keep high quality and acceptance.

Chimes of various categorieswere created in a music computer program.
Both a pilot study containing a listening test on tone and a chime listening
test were carried out to analyze the sounds.

The tests showed that if a chime is repeated continuously, it is understood
as a reminder – most often as seat belt reminder. But the seat belt
reminder should be a dedicated sound to avoid confusions. A general
information chime is most easily recognized and suitable if the sound is a
simple melody of a few notes or consists of beeps, like typical information
jingles heard for instance at a train station or from a computer. The
warnings of high urgency should be alarming, fast, clear and loud but not
frightening. A sound is judged as premium if it is soft, clean and round.
The tone of a flute is not premium in this context. Another instrument,
namely trumpet, which constitutes two warning sounds, is not appreciated
either. The participants expressed that a Volvo sound should be like
a premium sound and should also sound secure and be understandable.