Application of the Biosonar Measurement Tool (BMT) and Instrumented Mine Simulators (IMS) to Exploration of Dolphin Echolocation During Free-Swimming, Bottom-Object Searches
Abstract
Bio-inspired signal processing is based on an understanding of an organism's strategy for task completion using a particular sensory modality and the physiological mechanisms underlying the processing of sensory-acquired information. Dolphins possess a biological sonar system that is highly effective at submerged object detection and identification, is operational in open water to very shallow water (VSW) zones, and is capable of finding buried targets. Due to the ability of the dolphin to outperform man-made systems at submerged object detection and identification, the United States Navy has placed considerable effort into understanding dolphin biosonar (echolocation). Research work conducted by the Navy has addressed the characteristics of echolocation clicks, mechanisms of click production and echo reception, and the adaptive production of clicks relative to the echoic task performed. The majorities of the research efforts are traditionally confined to enclosed pen environments and often require limitation of dolphin movements via hoop, or biteplate, stationing devices to control geometries. This imposes an artificiality that removes dolphin motion from search strategy analysis. As such, very little quantitative data is available for when dolphins conduct free-swimming, open water acoustic searches. These factors reduce the richness of potential information that can be obtained from characterizing echolocation of a freeswimming animal in a natural environment. Under such conditions, information obtained on animal movement, click production, echo reception, and reception of clicks at an insonified target can provide detailed information on dolphin echolocation that can be data mined for biosonar search strategies under real-world conditions. Results can be applied to the development of signal processing algorithms and adaptive search strategies that improve the mine hunting capability of man-made naval assets.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA508112
Entities
People
- Dorian S. Houser
- Eric Bauer
- Michael Phillips
- Patrick Moore
- Stephen W. Martin
Organizations
- Naval Information Warfare Systems Command