Quck answer
When it comes to sonar technology, there are two main contenders: Team Dolphin and Team Bat. Team Dolphin uses passive sonar, which listens for sound waves emitted by other objects, while Team Bat uses active sonar, which emits sound waves and listens for their echoes. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately it depends on the specific application. Passive sonar is better for detecting stealthy objects, but active sonar is better for determining range and depth. In the end, the battle of the best sonar comes down to which team can best meet the needs of the user.
Wildlife
Are you on team bat or team dolphin? Scientists have compared the two and the results are very close. Ewen Charlton/PhotographerOlympus/Getty Images/HowStuffWorks
Engineers often look to nature for inspiration, and examples of this include Velcro, Schmitt Trigger input circuits, and the high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which were all created based on burdock burrs, squid nerves, and kingfisher beaks respectively.
Nature also beat mankind to the punch with echolocation. This is the process of using high-frequency sound waves to detect or examine an object by hitting it and listening for the bounce back to the source. Humans have used sonar technology to do this for over a century, but toothed whales, including dolphins, porpoises, and sperm whales, all use echolocation. Around 1,000 species of bats also use echolocation.
As sonar engineering continues to develop, inventors will likely derive inspiration from both bats and toothed cetaceans. However, which group will be more valuable to the pioneers of tomorrow is up for debate.
Scientists have had some playful banter over this question. At a November 2018 gathering of the Acoustical Society of America, Laura Kloepper, an assistant professor of biology at St. Mary’s College in Indiana, presented new research highlighting key differences between bat and dolphin echolocation. According to Kloepper, bats use the technique in a more impressive way, but others are not so sure. There may not be a clear winner in this aural battle.
Sounding Off
Sound travels approximately four times faster in water than in the air, allowing toothed whales to echolocate over greater distances. A submerged bottlenose dolphin can use its sonar to identify potential prey from 361 feet (110 meters) away.
Bats have much narrower sonar ranges, with most insect-hunting species only able to detect prey within 9.8 to 16.4 feet (3 to 5 meters) of them, making it no contest in this area.
When it comes to volume, toothed whales outperform the competition. Dolphins and their kin use their nasal passages to make a series of clicks that move through the “melon,” a fatty organ located above the jaws, like a built-in megaphone, which focuses and directs the outgoing sound. In some of these whales, the strings of clicks are as loud as 230 decibels. This is almost 130 decibels higher than the sound of any roaring trains at a New York City subway station. Bat-made noises are nowhere near as loud, with sonar-wielding flyers emitting sounds in the range of 100 to 110 decibels.
Bats usually generate the sound waves that make echolocation possible using their tongue or larynx. However, scientists recently discovered another, more primitive technique. A 2014 study reported that Old World fruit bats navigate the darkness by producing clicks with their wings and listening for the echo. Researchers have yet to determine how this works.
Coping With Chatter
Making these noises is only half of the battle. If you’re going to use sonar, you also need to be able to process returning echoes. Dolphins use their jaws and teeth to intercept echoes and pass them along to their middle ears. Bats, on the other hand, collect return signals using their overgrown external ears.
Bats have incredible hearing abilities despite their large ears and the background noise created by millions of bats echolocating at once. To differentiate between their own cries and those of other bats, they can alter the pitch, frequency, and timing of their voices or even release sounds that jam other bats’ sonar signals. Compared to toothed whales who have less control over their sonar clicks, bats are considered more advanced sonar-users and have greater vocal flexibility. However, both bats and dolphins independently developed sonar after going through similar hearing-related mutations. Other animals such as oilbirds and shrews also use echolocation to navigate in the dark.
FAQ
1. What is sonar and how does it work?
Sonar is a technology that uses sound waves to detect objects underwater. The system works by emitting sound waves from a device, which then reflect off of objects underwater and return to the device. The time it takes for the sound waves to return can be used to determine the distance and location of objects.
2. What are the main differences between ‘Team Dolphin’ and ‘Team Bat’ sonar?
‘Team Dolphin’ sonar uses a technique called echolocation, which is similar to how dolphins and bats use sound waves to navigate. This system uses high-frequency sound waves to detect objects underwater and produce accurate images of the surrounding environment. ‘Team Bat’ sonar, on the other hand, uses a sonar system that is based on radar technology. This system uses radio waves to detect objects underwater and produces images based on the signals that are received.
3. Which team’s sonar is more effective in detecting objects in murky water?
4. Which team’s sonar is more expensive?
‘Team Dolphin’ sonar is generally more expensive than ‘Team Bat’ sonar. This is because the technology used by ‘Team Dolphin’ is more advanced and requires more sophisticated equipment and software. Additionally, the manufacturing process for ‘Team Dolphin’ sonar is more complex, which contributes to its higher cost.
5. Which team’s sonar is used more frequently by military and law enforcement agencies?
Both ‘Team Dolphin’ and ‘Team Bat’ sonar are used by military and law enforcement agencies, depending on the specific needs of the operation. However, ‘Team Dolphin’ sonar is often preferred for its ability to produce accurate images of the underwater environment and detect objects in low visibility conditions. This makes it a valuable tool for search and rescue operations, as well as for detecting underwater threats.
6. Which team’s sonar is better suited for scientific research?
‘Team Dolphin’ sonar is generally considered to be better suited for scientific research. This is because the technology used by ‘Team Dolphin’ is more precise and can produce more detailed images of the underwater environment. This makes it a valuable tool for conducting research on marine life and underwater ecosystems, as well as for studying the effects of climate change on the ocean.
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