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Echolocation for Humans

Posted by michael on from the eat-all-the-insects-you-want dept.

anoopsinha writes "An article in New Scientist reports that bat echos can be used as virtual reality guide. People wearing headphones could easily hunt down a 'virtual insect', using only the echolocation sounds. The report says that it is a 'very intuitive process.' The researchers behind the project hope that a similar system in the cockpit of fighter planes could allow pilots to track some controls using their hearing, freeing up their eyes for other tasks."

8 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. Did not understand the article by civilengineer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Can someone explain to me what the article is trying to say? I know that we developed eyesight to see the world around us and bats developed ultrasonic sound and ears to percieve it. But, how is becoming "batman" going to help improve our situation?

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    1. Re:Did not understand the article by Narphorium · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you think of the human body as a computer. This would be equivalent to discovering a new port through which we can recieve additional information.
      It means that we might be able to absorb more information faster and easier.

  2. Echolocation by Kumochisonan · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The researchers behind the project hope that a similar system in the cockpit of fighter planes could allow pilots to track some controls using their hearing, freeing up their eyes for other tasks.

    Modern Science, innovating new ways of killing our fellow man more effectively!

    I also saw something on using echolocation with blind people a while back, according to the story, it doesn't take long for users to adapt. Saying that, Blind people have very sensitive hearing anyway.

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    take elrond
    put elrond in cupboard
  3. Re:Augmented Reality? by ikkonoishi · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...

    The whole point of this thing is NOT to have a hud showing sound waves.

    You actually hear the sounds and interpret them as needed.

  4. AFAIK, already in development before w/Airforce by naztafari · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Hey, good logical explanation for Star Wars sounds!

    a similar system in the cockpit of fighter planes could allow pilots to track some controls using their hearing, freeing up their eyes for other tasks

    The Airforce already has been developing this already, not with echolocation though. It was shown on discovery channel or something. Uses a more efficient system.

    Aircraft uses sensors to measure position of other aircraft in the vicinity then onboard computer replicates positions in 3D audio space fed to Pilot's Helmet.

    And it works. It helps track entities that are outside of the line of sight of the pilot.

    Been done years ago by Aureal A3D anyway. Too bad Creative Killed 'em off, ate em up and didn't utilize their technology (Audigy uses a different system -- check out 3dsoundsurge.com).

    I've got An SBLive and an A3D 3.0 soundcard. The A3D sounds sweeter and is better in hunting down opponents "echolocationally".
  5. Re:George Lucas isn't a fool then by yerricde · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I've always imagined that audible explosions in space opera somehow relate to interference picked up on the pilots' radios.

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  6. Re:Applications for the blind? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The blind don't have huge Defense Department budgets.

  7. Re:shameless reply by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I tried in French and Italian and I came up with two conclusions :
    - the language doesn't matter
    - it works with words you are used to read. So, if I read about computers this way, it's ok. But if I read about food recipes nothing makes sense ! :)

    Maybe German is an exception.