Robat uses a bat-like approach, emitting sound and analyzing return echoes – ScienceDaily

Bats use echolocation to map new environments while simultaneously browsing them by emitting sounds and extracting information from echoes reflected by objects in their environment. Many theoretical frameworks have been proposed to explain how bats systematically solve one of the most difficult problems in robotics, but few attempts have been made to build a real robot that mimics their abilities. Unlike most previous efforts to apply sonar in robotics, Eliakim and his colleagues developed a robot that uses a bat-like biological approach, emitting a sound and analyzing the echoes returned to generate a map of the body. ;space.

Robat has an ultrasonic speaker that mimics the mouth, producing frequency-modulated vibrations at a rate generally used by bats, as well as two ultrasound microphones mimicking the ears. It has moved autonomously into a new outdoor environment and mapped in real time using only the sound. Robat delineates the boundaries of objects encountered and classifies them using an artificial neural network, creating a rich and accurate map of its environment while avoiding obstacles. For example, by reaching a dead end, the robot used its classification capabilities to determine whether it was blocked by a wall or by a plant through which it could pass.

"To our knowledge, our Robat is the first biologically plausible, fully autonomous robot capable of moving into a new environment while mapping it solely on the basis of echo information – delineating object boundaries and free paths between them." and recognizing their type. "Eliakim said." We show the great potential of using sound for future robotic applications. "

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