The researchers said in an article published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters that current “algorithms for active echolocation are less developed and sometimes depend on hardware requirements that are out of reach for tiny robots.” Their “method is model-based, operates in real-time, and needs no previous calibration or training,” they said. Their technique might enable tiny machines to be dispatched on search-and-rescue operations or to previously unexplored places that larger robots could not access. And, since the system simply requires onboard audio or inexpensive extra hardware, it offers a broad variety of possible applications.
