Page 71 - Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature
P. 71
Harun Yahya
Dolphin Sound Waves and Sonar Technology
From a special organ known as the melon in its head, a dolphin can
sometimes produce as many as 1,200 clicks a second. Simply by moving
its head, this creature is able to transmit the waves in the direction it wish-
es. When the sound waves strike an object, they are reflected and return
to the dolphin. The echoes reflected from the object pass through the dol-
phin's lower jaw to the middle ear, and from there to the brain. Thanks to
the enormous speed at which these data are interpreted, very accurate
and sensitive information is obtained. The echoes let the dolphin deter-
mine the direction of movement, speed and size of the object that reflects
them. 53
The dolphin sonar is so sensitive that it can even identify one single
fish from among an entire shoal. 54 It can also distinguish between two
separate metal coins, three kilometers away in the pitch dark. 55
In the present day, the instrument known as SONAR 56 is used to
identify targets and their directions for ships and submarines. Sonar
works on exactly the same principle as that employed by the dolphin.
At Yale University, a robot was developed to be used for exploring
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