Image by vinduhl via FlickrI was echolocating through the hallway at work the other day, and I noticed a lot of high frequency noise which I think has been there all along, but I hadn't really paid attention to it. I think it was either coming from the deformation of the carpet fibers under my feet, or the stretching of the fabric in my shoes because it was synchronized with my gait. It wasn't necessarily just the sound of footsteps, because it seemed like it was always present, and just increased in volume at every step.After listening to this sound for a while I realized that I was actually using it quite effectively to echolocate. Possibly more effectively than clicking. And I can see where the myth of "pressure on the face" comes from. Since this sound was more omnipresent than the sporatic clicking you get a much better transition between the "presence" of different objects.
This makes me wonder, if some white noise were to be emitted at, say, the belt buckle level (somewhere away from the ears, but a source that travels with you) if that would be of great benefit for echolocation. Maybe clicking is not the way to go?
Anyone out there ever notice this phenomenon? Let me know what you think.
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2 comments:
Any more observations on this? Are you referring to that very subtle high pitch background noise that is ALWAYS there, at least if you pay attention to it, and ESPECIALLY noticeable when it is dead silent? Maybe its just me who can hear this, but I don't think so...
I was practicing walking a predetermined path, and at some point it 'felt' like the wall was close to my face, so I checked and it was - based on that I too can understand where the 'pressure on the face' sensation comes from since I have no other way to describe it...even though I wouldn't describe it quite as a pressure either.
Chris, no. That subtle high pitched sound that is always there especially when it is dead quiet comes from inside the mechanics of your ear. If that gets worse with age, they call it "tinnitus", or ringing in the ear.
The ambient noises I'm talking about in this post would be things like the carpet scrunching under your feet, your pants brushing against each other, your clothes moving around on your body as you move. Things like that.
Good for you that you "felt" it. That's a big step and a turning point for being able to understand that this can actually be a "sense" as opposed to always having to really concentrate hard on it.
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