Live bats demonstrate that the properly used ultrasound can be used to perceive 3D space.

We seek to rigorously evaluate the benefit of using a few beams rather than a single beam for a low-cost obstacle avoidance sonar for small AUVs. For a small low-cost AUV, the complexity, cost, and volume required for a multi-beam forward looking sonar are prohibitive. In contrast, a single-beam system is relatively easy to integrate into a small AUV, but does not provide the performance of a multi-beam solution. To better understand this trade-off, we seek to rigorously quantify the improvement with respect to obstacle avoidance performance of adding just a few beams to a single-beam forward looking sonar relative to the performance of the single-beam system. Our work fundamentally supports the goal of using small low-cost AUV systems in cluttered and unstructured environments. Specifically, we investigate the benefit of incorporating a port and starboard beam to a single-beam sonar system for collision avoidance. A methodology for collision avoidance is developed to obtain a fair comparison between a single-beam and multi-beam system, explicitly incorporating the geometry of the beam patterns from forward-looking sonars with large beam angles, and simulated using a high-fidelity representation of acoustic signal propagation.

Researchers in China and the United States recently explored how an attention-based deep neural network (ABNN) could help improve sonar systems.  The research was published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America by the Acoustical Society of America through AIP Publishing.  Qunyan Ren is co-author of the research.  “We found the ABNN was […]

Smart devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo could be transformed into surveillance tools that track your every move, according to scientists. The CovertBand tracking system uses the built-in microphone as a receiver to pick up reflected sound waves - and is so powerful it can record what you're doing through a wall. The smart device then transmits this information to the attacker, who could be a few feet away or halfway across the globe. The researchers tested CovertBand using a Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone hooked up to a portable speaker (pictured). Using a software code called CovertBand researchers turned a smart device into a sonar system which can take over built-in microphones and speakers in a smart device - that can be controlled remotely.

For those who don't have the patience to wait for fish to take the bait, a robotics firm has unveiled a device that finds and attracts them to you. Called the PowerRay, the underwater drone uses a precision remote bait drop and blue-hued fishing lures that basically attaches the fish to the dangling hook. The unmanned vehicle also transmits data, fish alerts and live video feed and photos of the underwater world to the fisherman's smartphone via a companion app. PowerRay uses a precision remote bait drop and blue-hued fishing lures that basically attaches the fish to the dangling hook. The unmanned vehicle also transmits data, alters and live video feed and photos of the underwater world to the fisherman's smartphone via a companion app The sonar system can detect fish up to 131ft below the swimming robot and can dive up to 98 feet.