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Friday, December 19, 2008

Echolocation Using Clicking Devices

Clickers used for :en:clicker training Taken b...Image via WikipediaHandheld clickers may be used for echolocation, and I have had minimal experience with this, but I will dispel all I have learned so far. You can use a Snapple-type cap, or a pet training clicker. First thing's first, you must get used to the sound of the clicker. Play with it as much as you can, every day. Eventually you will be able to recognize it easily and at this point you will have learned many of the subtleties of the sound. Clickers should be sounded around the waste level or above the head, don't click them near the ears since this will defeat the purpose. The goal, as always with echolocation, is to create a triangle between the source, object and receiver. So in this case: clicker, wall, and ear.

I find it is also helpful to create a barrier directly between the clicking source and your ear. This could be your other hand (as if saying "Stop") a notebook, or even a bag you're carrying. This will prevent the signal from going directly to your ear and will isolate the reverberating signal (which is the important part)

When using a clicker, pause for about a second between the press and the release of the button. This will give the reverberations time to subside and will avoid confusion for your subconcious.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't have much luck with using a snapple cap. It just worked better for me to use the blade pop. The cap popped, and it meant nothing to me. Tongue clicks work better for me.

Unknown said...

I think you'd have to put quite a bit of dedication into just listening to the clicking device before you started using it for echolocation. Click emitted from your mouth, you are already familiar with, just like your own voice. But a clicker will have different frequencies that you need to become sensitive to before you will be able to hear its resonance off of obstacles. Personally, I prefer the mouth click too, I've always got my mouth with me.

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Free 10-Minute Audio Lesson: Learn the Echolocation Click

Learn echolocation clicks with a free audio lesson
Learning how to click is one of the first steps to becoming an effective echoloator. This lesson provides clicking samples of a variety of different clicks and descriptions of when they might be most useful. This lesson has been used by O&M instructors all over the world.

Despite popular belief, it's easy to make your clicking quite subtle or unnoticeable even in quiet settings. There are many different clicks for different situations. I explain all of these in great detail and give examples of where, why and when they can and should be used.

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