Posted on 07/03/2009 1:55:50 AM PDT by Schnucki
WASHINGTON: In a new research, scientists have shown that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings.
The research was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Alcala de Henares (UAH) in Spain.
"In certain circumstances, we humans could rival bats in our echolocation or biosonar capacity", said Juan Antonio Martínez, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Superior Polytechnic School of the UAH.
The team led by this scientist has started a series of tests, the first of their kind in the world, to make use of human beings' under-exploited echolocation skills.
In the first study, the team analyses the physical properties of various sounds, and proposes the most effective of these for use in echolocation.
"The almost ideal sound is the palate click, a click made by placing the tip of the tongue on the palate, just behind the teeth, and moving it quickly backwards, although it is often done downwards, which is wrong," Martinez explained.
According to the researcher, palate clicks "are very similar to the sounds made by dolphins, although on a different scale, as these animals have specially-adapted organs and can produce 200 clicks per second, while we can only produce three or four".
By using echolocation, "which is three-dimensional, and makes it possible to 'see' through materials that are opaque to visible radiation," it is possible to measure the distance of an object based on the time that elapses between the emission of a sound wave and an echo being received of this wave as it is reflected from the object.
In order to learn how to emit, receive and interpret sounds, the scientists are developing a method that uses a series of protocols.
This first step is for the individual to know how to make and identify his or her own sounds (they are different for each person), and later to know how to use them to distinguish between objects according to their geometrical properties.
The next level is to learn how to master the "palate clicks".
According to Martinez, his team is now working to help deaf and blind people to use this method in the future, because echoes are not only perceived by their ear, but also through vibrations in the tongue and bones.
A better understanding of the mental mechanisms used in echolocation could also help to design new medical imaging technologies or scanners, which make use of the great penetration capacity of clicks.
‘MARCO!’
There are some blind people who use echo location with amazing accuracy.
Which ones? You have a source of information on that which we can consult, yes?
Wouldnt it be easier (and cooler looking) to just get bitten by a radioactive spider?
So where is the pic of that blind super-dude played by Ben Afflack?
Yup.
Faster, Better, Cheaper.
I'd expect that someone who didn't trash their hearing with lots of shooting without hearing protection as a youngster (as I did) could do it quite effectively. The echolocation depends mostly on high frequencies -- which shooting damage devastates... :-(
Advice to young shooters:
Very young children have field programmable brains. The circuits and functions that form vary depending on sensory input over time. If a blind baby is equipped with a wearable electronic clicker all the time they might be able to develop 3-D “vision” through their ears. Another device that could be useful is an ultrasonic clicker and receiver that steps down the echos to human hearing range, or transforms sounds from different directions and speeds into unique patterns. A normal baby equipped with such a device might be capable of becoming a super athlete, with eyes on the back of their heads, though they’d always have to wear the same model of the device and it couldn’t change its operating properties.
Politicians have been using it for years.
Rummage around on The Discovery Channel website. They did a show a couple of months ago about a kid that went blind when he was like 2, but he does this echolocation pretty well. Scientists say on the show that it’s pretty good.
Here’s some video of him from CBS (kinda grainy)
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/779704/best_video_of_the_year_blind_kid_uses_sound_to_see/
Ah here’s another link with a different guy
http://www.worldaccessfortheblind.org/2005/09/daniel-kish-using-and-explaining-echolocation.html
Perhaps this is true, but then we’d all have to develop foreheads like Paul Begala. I’ll pass.
Looks amazing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.