Full-duplex acoustic interaction system for cognitive experiments with cetaceans

ID: 20231012155301644-1263

Researcher: Jörg Rychen, Julie Semoroz, Alexander Eckerle, Richard HR Hahnloser, Rébecca Kleinberger

WP: Other

PI: null

Abstract: Cetaceans show high cognitive abilities and strong social bonds. Acoustics is their primary modality to communicate and sense the environment. Research on their echolocation and vocalizations with conspecifics and with humans typically uses visual and tactile systems adapted from research on primates or birds. Such research would benefit from a purely acoustic communication system in which signals flow in both directions simultaneously. We designed and implemented a full duplex system to acoustically interact with cetaceans in the wild, featuring digital echo-suppression. We pilot tested the system in Arctic Norway and achieved an echo suppression of 18 dB leaving room for technical improvements addressed in the discussion. Nevertheless, the system enabled vocal interaction with the underwater acoustic scene by allowing experimenters to listen while producing sounds. We describe our motivations, then present our pilot deployment and give examples of initial explorative attempts to vocally interact with wild orcas and humpback whales.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.27.493738

Publication Link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.27.493738v1

Data Type: null

Data Format: null

Git: None