Many blind people navigate the world using a cane, guide dog or wearable GPS. But some have something more in their toolkit: echolocation. That’s the ability to sense nearby objects using sound. A new study shows just how master echolocators use this technique to get around.
These people make a sharp clicking sound with their tongue. (Watch the process in action.) Then they listen for its echo to sense where objects are around them. New brain-activity data show that with each click, expert echolocators improve these mental maps of their environment.
Researchers shared these findings April 6 in eNeuro.
Clicking and listening for echoes can provide information about the location of nearby objects. Or their size. Maybe even their texture. (Bats use this same process to find their way as they flap through the night sky.)
Many studies have shown that ...
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