Shandong University—Virginia Tech Biosonar Research in China

Abstract

China is home to a diverse and in many places abundant bat fauna. Among the most diverse and prominent bat families in the country are the horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) which also have one of the most specialized and capable sonar systems found in nature. Biosonar research at the Shandong University - Virginia Tech International Laboratory seeks to understand the capabilities and the diverse adaptations in the sonar systems of Chinese bats. A common thread of this research is the analysis of the natural variability in biosonar solutions. For example, the International Laboratory has been compiling a digital database of the noseleaves and outer ear shapes of bats from China and neighboring regions. Current research explores biological adaptation pattern in these shapes and their acoustic properties. Other research explores sound production across different species of Chinese bats. The International Laboratory also conducts behavioral experiments, in particular with horseshoe bats. This research has characterized novel dynamic features on the emission as well as on the reception side of the horseshoe bats' biosonar system. The International Laboratory collaborates with a sister lab at Virginia Tech (GLOBES) on the engineering analysis of the biosonar properties it discovers as well as the development of bioinspired devices.