image: Bat-pollinated plants developed echo reflectors to attract bats. Reflectors inspired by these plants can guide robots. view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Ralph Simon.
A study finds that floral forms, inspired by flowers with shapes that reflect sonar and stand out acoustically to attract pollinating bats, can be used to guide autonomous vehicles; bioinspired shapes can serve as acoustically conspicuous guideposts for sonar-guided autonomous vehicles, and experiments show that robots can be guided by bioinspired sonar reflectors through new environments, according to the authors.
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Article #19-09890: "Bioinspired sonar reflectors as guiding beacons for autonomous navigation," by Ralph Simon et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ralph Simon, VU University, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS; e-mail: <ralph.simon@vu.nl>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences