Bats use a sophisticated ultrasonic sensing method called echolocation to recognize the environment. Recently, it has been reported that sighted human participants with no prior experience in echolocation can improve their ability to perceive the spatial layout of various environments through training to listen to echoes (Norman, et al., 2021). In this study, we developed the new training system for human echolocation using the eye-tracker. Binaural echoes of consecutive downward linear FM pulses that were inspired by feeding strategies of echolocating bats were simulated using the wave equation finite difference time domain method. The virtual echoes were presented to the sighted subject in response to his or her eye movements on the monitor. The latency from eye gazing to the echo presentation wasn't audible delay to perceive. In a preliminary experiment in which the participants were asked to identify the shapes of the hidden target, the participants were found to concentrate their gaze on the edges of the hidden target on the monitor. We will conduct a psycho-acoustical experiment to examine the learning process of human echolocation in a shape-identification task, which will lead to device development in the field of welfare engineering.

翻译：蝙蝠使用一种称为回声定位的复杂超声波传感方式来识别环境。近期研究表明，无回声定位经验的视力正常参与者通过聆听回声训练，能够提升感知不同环境空间布局的能力（Norman等，2021）。本研究利用眼动追踪技术开发了新型人类回声定位训练系统。基于蝙蝠捕食策略模拟的连续下行线性调频脉冲的双耳回声，采用波动方程时域有限差分法进行仿真。虚拟回声根据受试者在显示器上的眼动实时呈现，从视线注视到回声呈现的延迟时间未产生可感知的听觉延迟。在初步实验中，要求参与者识别隐藏目标的形状，结果发现参与者会将目光聚焦于显示器上隐藏目标的边缘。我们将开展心理声学实验，探究形状识别任务中人类回声定位的学习过程，这将为福利工程领域的设备开发提供指导。