Dwight Wayne Batteau

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Dwight Wayne Batteau, D.Sc. (September 25, 1916 - October 26, 1967) was an acoustic engineer. His research established that the shape of humans' outer ears (Auricle) provides directional hearing. He also developed a "Man to Dolphin Translator" which allowed 2-way communication by converting in both directions between vowel sounds and whistles. He was a professor at Harvard University, then at Tufts University and was an officer of acoustic research companies, United Research Inc. and Listening Post, Inc.

Contents

Outer ear's role in directional ability

In 1961 Batteau found that humans' external ears do not just magnify sound, and that ability to locate the direction a sound comes from is not just derived from the difference in arrival times between left and right eardrums. External ears channel sound in four pathways of different lengths and resonance, so each sound reaches the eardrum four times, and the slight differences in sound give far more directional ability than the difference in arrival times between the ears. These paths explain why people who hear in only one ear have directional ability. [1] [2] His Royal Society publication has been cited 684 times through 2023. [3]

Dolphin translator

The Man to Dolphin Translator was developed with Peter Markey and Stephen Moshier under contracts for the US Navy in Point Mugu California and Hawaii. It translated seven vowel sounds spoken by humans to pure sine wave whistles from 7,000 Hz to 15,000 Hz. Thus the humans did not need to learn a whistled language, and the dolphins did not need to make human sounds. The equipment was analog, with filters which were able to distinguish vowel sounds and play the appropriate whistle frequencies. Other filters processed the dolphins' whistles, and when the dolphins whistled at the seven defined frequencies the equipment played the corresponding vowel sounds in speakers as well as displaying both sides of the communication on oscilloscopes. Batteau's team trained the dolphins to take certain actions when they heard particular sequences. [4] [5] [6] He noted the work could be extended into a two-way pidgin language, but died before doing so: "a basis for the development of a language between man and dolphin has been established. The continuing work will be directed towards ... inclusion of the trainer as a responding element in the communicating system." [7]

Personal

Batteau was born in West Rockford, Illinois to Henry Westbrook Batteau and the former Alice Hurst. He enlisted in the Army as a warrant officer in 1942. [8] [9] He married Blanca Delia Matos in 1945 in Orange County, Florida, and they had six children, [10] including the songwriters David Batteau, Robin Batteau and Dwight Jr. [11] He graduated from Harvard in 1948, and was assistant professor of engineering at Harvard in 1954 and 1956. [12] [13] In 1961, when he was vice-president and a director of United Research Inc., he was elected to life membership in the New York Academy of Science. [14] In 1965 he was professor of mechanical engineering at Tufts University. [15] He died of a heart attack while swimming in Honolulu. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolphin</span> Marine mammals, closely related to whales and porpoises

A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae, Platanistidae, Iniidae, Pontoporiidae, and possibly extinct Lipotidae. There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eardrum</span> Membrane separating the external ear from the middle ear

In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear, and then to the oval window in the fluid-filled cochlea. Hence, it ultimately converts and amplifies vibration in the air to vibration in cochlear fluid. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head-related transfer function</span> Response that characterizes how an ear receives a sound from a point in space

A head-related transfer function (HRTF), also known as a head shadow, is a response that characterizes how an ear receives a sound from a point in space. As sound strikes the listener, the size and shape of the head, ears, ear canal, density of the head, size and shape of nasal and oral cavities, all transform the sound and affect how it is perceived, boosting some frequencies and attenuating others. Generally speaking, the HRTF boosts frequencies from 2–5 kHz with a primary resonance of +17 dB at 2,700 Hz. But the response curve is more complex than a single bump, affects a broad frequency spectrum, and varies significantly from person to person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whistled language</span> Emulation of speech by whistling

Whistled languages are linguistic systems that use whistling to emulate speech and facilitate communication between individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bottlenose dolphin</span> Genus of dolphin

Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus Tursiops. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains three species: the common bottlenose dolphin, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, and Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin. Others, like the Burrunan dolphin, may be alternately considered their own species or be subspecies of T. aduncus. Bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide, being found everywhere except for the Arctic and Antarctic Circle regions. Their name derives from the Latin tursio (dolphin) and truncatus for their characteristic truncated teeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oceanic dolphin</span> Family of marine mammals

Oceanic dolphins or Delphinidae are a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea. Close to forty extant species are recognised. They include several big species whose common names contain "whale" rather than "dolphin", such as the Globicephalinae. Delphinidae is a family within the superfamily Delphinoidea, which also includes the porpoises (Phocoenidae) and the Monodontidae. River dolphins are relatives of the Delphinoidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toothed whale</span> Parvorder of cetaceans

The toothed whales are a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales possessing teeth, such as the beaked whales and sperm whales. 73 species of toothed whales are described. They are one of two living groups of cetaceans, the other being the baleen whales (Mysticeti), which have baleen instead of teeth. The two groups are thought to have diverged around 34 million years ago (mya).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cetacean intelligence</span> Intellectual capacity of cetaceans

Cetacean intelligence is the overall intelligence and derived cognitive ability of aquatic mammals belonging in the infraorder Cetacea (cetaceans), including baleen whales, porpoises, and dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common bottlenose dolphin</span> Species of dolphin

The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is a wide-ranging marine mammal of the family Delphinidae. In the order Cetacea, the common bottlenose is most similar to whales, porpoises, and other dolphins, and they are found in the waters around the globe. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it gets in captivity in marine parks and dolphinariums, and in movies and television programs. Spending their entire life in water, the common bottlenose inhabits temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world, absent only from polar waters. While formerly known simply as the bottlenose dolphin, this term is now applied to the genus Tursiops as a whole. As considerable genetic variation has been described within this species, even between neighboring populations, many experts think additional species may be recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal language</span> Complex animal communication

Animal languages are forms of non-human animal communication that show similarities to human language. Animals communicate through a variety of signs, such as sounds or movements. Signing among animals may be considered a form of language if the inventory of signs is large enough. The signs are relatively arbitrary, and the animals seem to produce them with a degree of volition. In experimental tests, animal communication may also be evidenced through the use of lexigrams by chimpanzees and bonobos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whale vocalization</span> Sounds produced by whales

Whales use a variety of sounds for communication and sensation. The mechanisms used to produce sound vary from one family of cetaceans to another. Marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are much more dependent on sound than land mammals due to the limited effectiveness of other senses in water. Sight is less effective for marine mammals because of the particulate way in which the ocean scatters light. Smell is also limited, as molecules diffuse more slowly in water than in air, which makes smelling less effective. However, the speed of sound is roughly four times greater in water than in the atmosphere at sea level. As sea mammals are so dependent on hearing to communicate and feed, environmentalists and cetologists are concerned that they are being harmed by the increased ambient noise in the world's oceans caused by ships, sonar and marine seismic surveys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ear</span> Organ of hearing and balance

An ear is the organ that enables hearing and body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals the ear is usually described as having three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of the pinna and the ear canal. Since the outer ear is the only visible portion of the ear in most animals, the word "ear" often refers to the external part alone. The middle ear includes the tympanic cavity and the three ossicles. The inner ear sits in the bony labyrinth, and contains structures which are key to several senses: the semicircular canals, which enable balance and eye tracking when moving; the utricle and saccule, which enable balance when stationary; and the cochlea, which enables hearing. The ear is a self cleaning organ through its relationship with earwax and the ear canals. The ears of vertebrates are placed somewhat symmetrically on either side of the head, an arrangement that aids sound localization.

Sound localization is a listener's ability to identify the location or origin of a detected sound in direction and distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human–animal communication</span> Verbal and non-verbal interspecies communication

Human–animal communication is the communication observed between humans and other animals, ranging from non-verbal cues and vocalizations to the use of language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hearing range</span> Range of frequencies that can be heard by humans or other animals

Hearing range describes the frequency range that can be heard by humans or other animals, though it can also refer to the range of levels. The human range is commonly given as 20 to 20,000 Hz, although there is considerable variation between individuals, especially at high frequencies, and a gradual loss of sensitivity to higher frequencies with age is considered normal. Sensitivity also varies with frequency, as shown by equal-loudness contours. Routine investigation for hearing loss usually involves an audiogram which shows threshold levels relative to a normal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perforated eardrum</span> Injury leading to a hole in the eardrum

A perforated eardrum is a hole in the eardrum. It can be caused by infection, trauma, overpressure, inappropriate ear clearing, and changes in middle ear pressure. An otoscope can be used to view the eardrum to diagnose a perforation. Perforations may heal naturally or require surgery.

In the study of the biological sciences, biocommunication is any specific type of communication within (intraspecific) or between (interspecific) species of plants, animals, fungi, protozoa and microorganisms. Communication basically means sign-mediated interactions following three levels of rules. Signs in most cases are chemical molecules (semiochemicals), but also tactile, or as in animals also visual and auditive. Biocommunication of animals may include vocalizations, or pheromone production, chemical signals between plants and animals, and chemically mediated communication between plants and within plants.

William Tecumseh Sherman Fitch III is an American evolutionary biologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Vienna where he is co-founder of the Department of Cognitive Biology.

David Hurst Batteau is an American singer-songwriter. Batteau is the son of Blanca Batteau and Dr. Dwight Wayne Batteau, of Harvard University and Tufts University. He is the brother of singer-songwriters Robin Batteau and Dwight Jr.

Robin Batteau is an American composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer. Batteau is the son of Blanca Batteau and Dr. Dwight Wayne Batteau, and brother of singer/songwriter David Batteau. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover and should have graduated from Harvard University in 1969, but actually finished his degree in 2021. Batteau worked with his brother David as Batteaux, releasing one album on Columbia Records in 1971. He performed with David Buskin as Buskin and Batteau but in April 2014 the duo split up. He recorded with Tom Rush. Batteau was awarded the Kate Wolf Memorial Award by the World Folk Music Association in 1991.

References

  1. ↑ "The Ears Have It," Newsweek 1961-12-04, pp.80-81
  2. ↑ Batteau, Dwight Wayne (January 1964). "The role of the pinna in human localization" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B Biological Sciences. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  3. ↑ Batteau, Dwight Wayne (2023-11-30). "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  4. ↑ Einhorn, Richard N. (1967-12-06). "Special Report - Dolphins challenge the designer" (PDF). Electronic Design 25. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  5. ↑ Herzing, Denise L. (November 2016). "Interfaces and Keyboards for Human-Dolphin Communication: What Have We Learned?" (PDF). Animal Behavior and Cognition. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  6. ↑ Moshier, Stephen L. (1967-12-13). "Technical Manual MDT-5. Final Report, Appendix A, U. S. Navy Contract N00123-67-C-1103" (PDF). US Navy. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  7. ↑ Batteau, Dwight W., and Peter R. Markey (1967-12-13). "Man/Dolphin Communication. Final Report, U. S. Navy Contract N00123-67-C-1103" (PDF). US Navy. Retrieved 2023-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Dwight W Batteau, "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946". www.familysearch.org. 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  9. ↑ "US Army Reserve Officers 1942-1945t". accident-report.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  10. 1 2 "Obituary, Dr. Wayne Batteau". The New York Times. 1967-10-30. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  11. ↑ Reinhold, Robert (1970-11-18). "Vonnegut Has 15 Nuggets of Talent in Harvard Class". NY Times. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  12. ↑ Bingham, Andrew W., and Robert H. Neuman (1956-11-02). "Science Fiction Does Not Mean Spaceship Cowboys". Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2023-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "The Journal of Engineering Education 1954-09: Vol 45 Issue 1 page 94". Journal of Engineering Education. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. September 1954. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  14. ↑ "Transactions of the New York Academy of Science 1962-01: Vol 24 Issue 3 page 336". NY Academy of Sciences. New York Academy of Sciences. January 1962. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  15. ↑ Batteau, Dwight W. (1965-11-23). "Batteau Studies Molecular Basis For Sensation" (PDF). Tufts Weekly. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
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