Killer Whales’ Ears Inspire New Undersea Microphones | Animal Inspired Machines | Better Underwater Microphones | Tech News Daily. By copying the ears of killer whales, scientists have designed underwater microphones that could one day help track migrating whales, guide robots toward leaking undersea oil wells and monitor exotic cosmic particles plunging into the ocean. Conventional underwater microphones, known as hydrophones, have very limited ranges of sensitivity. They cannot perform well at great depths, where the great ambient pressure of the ocean abyss can make it hard to discern faint sounds.
Now researchers have developed an ultra-sensitive hydrophone that can detect a wide spectrum of underwater sounds, from the weakest ones to those 100 million times stronger. "The decibel range of the sensor ranges from 20 decibels to 180 decibels in water — this is equivalent to a microphone that can record a whisper in a quiet library and the sound from 1 ton of TNT exploding 60 feet away," researcher Onur Kilic, an applied physicist at Stanford University, told TechNewsDaily. A new kind of hydrophone Immense pressures. History of whaling. Whale-Fishing. Facsimile of a Woodcut in the "Cosmographie Universelle" of Thevet, in folio: Paris, 1574. The history of whaling is very extensive, stretching back for millennia.
This article discusses the history of whaling up to the commencement of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. Prehistoric to medieval times[edit] 18th-century Nootka whaler hat The next step was to employ a drogue (a semi-floating object) such as a wooden drum or an inflated sealskin which was tied to an arrow or a harpoon. A description of the assistance a little European technology could bring to skilled indigenous whale hunters is given in the memoir of John R.
Basque whaling[edit] The fishery in Terranova declined for a variety of reasons. The first voyages to Spitsbergen by the English, Dutch, and Danish relied on Basque specialists, with the Basque provinces sending out their own whaler in 1612. Greenland whaling[edit] Dangers of the Whale Fishery, 1820. Energy-Saving Technology Inspired By Humpback Whales' Flippers. Animal Nature: Killer whales and sharp-eyed shrimp inspire technology developers. View full sizeElaine Thompson/The Associated PressScientists look to killer whales when designing new hydrophones. In the category "What Nature Can Teach Us" come stories this week about the ways scientists and technology developers turn to the animal world for inspiration.
First up: ORCAS: Researchers designing new ultra-sensitive hydrophones -- underwater microphones -- looked to a creature known for its keen sense of hearing in the underwater world, the killer whale. Mother Nature Network reports that Stanford University's Onur Kilic and colleagues analyzed orca ears, which are perfectly constructed to hear well in the ocean's noisy environment. Kilic built hydrophone sensors that work similarly, then beefed up the frequency range beyond what orcas can sense. They could affect all sorts of research, from tracking migrating whales to directing robots toward underwater oil leaks. The research was published recently in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Next up in the series: 10 Product Designs That are Inspired by Nature. Flying birds gave inspiration to the design of air planes. Observation of a falling apple led to the theory of Gravity.
Now and then nature is the origin for new inventions and theories. Biomimetics is the field that deals with design and development of products that are inspired by nature. Bullet Train Image credit: Japaneselifestyle.com The 500-series Shinkansen Japanese bullet train running between Tokyo and Hakata is one of the fastest trains in the world.
Lotus Paint Image credit: Treehugger.com Lotus leaf, due to the presence of wax, does not retain any water or wax on its upper layer. Shark Suit (Speedo Fast Skin) Image credit: Speedo.com Fast Skin Shark suit is designed by Speedo based on the scales of shark. Gecko Tape Image credit: Newscientist.com Gecko tape is a gum less tape designed by the Manchester University Scientists. Mercedes Bionic Concept Car Image credit: Carbodydesign.com Mercedes bionic concept car is designed based on the body shape of a boxfish. Velcro Turbine Blades.