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Effectiveness of time-varying echo information for target geometry identification in bat-inspired human echolocation
Miwa Sumiya1,2, Kaoru Ashihara3, Hiroki Watanabe4
1Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Seika-cho, Kyoto, Japan.
Plos One
|May 5, 2021
Summary
Humans can learn echolocation by listening to how sound echoes change over time, similar to bats. This study shows that using these time-varying acoustic cues helps identify object shapes, especially without immediate feedback.
Area of Science:
- Bioacoustics
- Human-computer interaction
- Sensory substitution
Background:
- Bats utilize sophisticated echolocation for navigation and foraging by emitting ultrasonic pulses and interpreting returning echoes.
- Understanding human acoustic sensing abilities can lead to novel assistive technologies and sensory substitution strategies.
- Mimicking bat echolocation provides a framework for investigating human auditory perception and learning new sensing modalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how sighted humans acquire echolocation abilities by mimicking bat sensing strategies.
- To identify effective strategies for human echolocation, particularly in identifying target geometries.
- To explore the role of time-varying echo information in human acoustic perception.
Main Methods:
- A novel sensing system was developed to emit broadband frequency-modulated pulses (mimicking bat buzz signals) up to 41 kHz.
- Fifteen sighted participants without prior echolocation experience performed a target geometry identification task using a synthetic echolocation signal.
- Echoes from stationary and rotating targets were recorded using a miniature dummy head, down-converted, and presented binaurally through headphones.
Main Results:
- Participants successfully identified target geometries, particularly under the rotating condition, utilizing time-varying echo patterns (intensity, timbre, pitch).
- Performance differences between stationary and rotating targets were significant only during test trials without immediate feedback.
- The study highlights the importance of time-varying echo information for effective human echolocation, especially in feedback-limited scenarios.
Conclusions:
- Humans can develop echolocation skills by processing time-varying acoustic cues, analogous to bat echolocation.
- The ability to interpret dynamic changes in echo intensity, timbre, and pitch is crucial for identifying object geometries.
- Time-varying echo information is particularly vital for human echolocation when real-time feedback is unavailable, suggesting its utility in assistive technologies.
