SONAR Echolocation: Blind Humans Like Bats Can Use It To Locate Objects
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| Ben Underwood |
Bats and dolphins aren't the only mammals that use the ability to use sounds to identify objects and navigate unfamiliar surroundings. New research shows that blind people are also capable of using this built-in mechanism.
Back in 2007, fourteen-year-old Ben Underwood who was blind in both eyes, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He was able to navigate his neighborhood and high school by rapidly clicking his tongue and using the echoes from the sound to determine what was around him. Using this technique, he could even zip around his neighborhood on roller blades.
Underwood's ability to navigate exclusively by sound has been dubbed "echolocation," which is the name given to the ability of bats to navigate by emitting sonar signals that allow them to locate and feed on flying insects. Dolphins also use echolocation to navigate through the water by making clicking sounds.
By learning to make clicking noises and listen to the faint returning echoes, blind people are able to map out their environments, identifying objects such as a car, building or mailbox. This suggests that blind people may be able to play team sports or find their own way around by fine tuning this talent.
Surprisingly, investigators found that the blind echolocators were actually using the "visual" part of their brains to process the sounds. .
Sources: The Public Library of Science and The National Federation of the Blind
