Full-duplex acoustic interaction system for cognitive experiments with cetaceans
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. Show more
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https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000595075Publication status
publishedExternal links
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bioRxivPublisher
Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryEdition / version
v1Subject
Human-dolphin communication; Self-interference cancellation; Echo cancellation; Killer-whale; Orca; Humpback whale; Inter-species communication; Animal communication; Bioacoustics; Underwater communication; Animal cognitionOrganisational unit
03774 - Hahnloser, Richard H.R. / Hahnloser, Richard H.R.
Funding
182638 - The roles of vocal communication in pair formation and cultural learning in songbirds (SNF)
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Is previous version of: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000634145
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