Echolocation in Bats: Signal Processing of Echoes for Target Range

Abstract

Echolocating bats Eptesicus fuscus and Phyllostomus hastatus can discriminate between the nearer and farther of two targets. Their errors in discrimination are predicted accurately by the autocorrelation functions of their sonar cries. These bats behave as though they have an ideal sonar system which cross correlates the transmitted cry with the returning echo to extract targetrange information.