Investigation for flexible 3D Acoustic Navigation employed by echolocating Bats

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15012
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 21040:Control and system engineering-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Yasufumi 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(理), 助教 (80802561)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: エコーロケーション / 構成論的研究手法 / バイオミメティクス / 生物ソナー / 自律ドローン / 空間学習 / シンプルデザインセンシング / 3次元音源定位

Outline of Final Research Achievements

At first, we mathematically evaluated that (1)Acoustic sensing with both ear movements similar to bats is useful for 3D sound source estimation(T. Hiraga, Y.Yamada et al,2022).Moreover, throught the measurements of the spatial learning flights of bats, it was found that (2) bats change their adaptive navgation behavior depending on the acoustic visibility (presence or absence of acoustic obstacles) in the flight environment (Y. Yamada et al., 2020). Furthermore, an active sonar system is proposed for drones equipped with a single transmitter and two receivers, inspired by echolocating bats. As a result of flight test,the received signals were saturated by cluttered propeller noise, suggesting a simple sonar system with a down sweep FM pulse (similar to bats) is sufficient for flight noise.

Free Research Field

音響工学，数理生物学，動物行動学，制御工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は，1送信器（口または鼻）と2受信器（両耳）のシンプルな超音波センシング機構で3次元空中ナビゲーションを実現させるコウモリについて，3次元空間の知覚メカニズムから経路・センシング最適化行動に至るまで，低次・高次機能を包括する意思決定プロセスへメスを入れた研究であった．今後のコウモリの超音波センシングの全容解明に向けても大きな一歩になると期待している．また，実機検証結果からは，世界初のコウモリ模倣型の自律飛行ドローンを実現させるうえで大きな一歩を踏み出したと言える．