press release
December 18, 2019
Audio Spotlight is at the Core of a Device that Could Save Millions of Birds Annually
Audio Spotlight directional speaker technology is helping a group of students and professors at The College of William & Mary who are developing a method that could potentially save the lives of millions of birds each year. The Acoustic Lighthouse project is centered on technology that uses Audio Spotlight directional sound to project an audible alarm to alert birds that are on a crash course with a man-made structure such as a plate glass window, a wind turbine, or a cell phone antenna tower.
One of the project researchers, graduate student Tim Boycott, recently received a national wildlife conservation award for his work on the Acoustic Lighthouse. Mr. Boycott was a recipient of an Animal Welfare Institute's (AWI) "Christine Stevens Wildlife Award" which recognizes researchers who are developing innovative wildlife study techniques and methods for resolving wildlife and human conflicts. The award is named in honor of the group's founder, who dedicated her life to reducing animal suffering.
The Sound Field exhibit at Singapore's Enabling Festival
"We wanted to see if the sound would act like a horn to a texting driver. Doe is attract the visual attention of the bird? Does it change the way they fly?"
- John Swaddle Biology Professor at The College of William & Mary
Acoustic Lighthouse uses Audio Spotlight directional sound to get flying birds to look up and to avoid colliding with objects in their flight path. Because most birds have eyes on the sides of their skulls, they are often unaware of what lies directly ahead of them during flight, which can lead to bird-strike injury or death.
Biology Professor John Swaddle tested the Acoustic Lighthouse concept with zebra finches.
“We wanted to see if the sound would act like a horn to a texting driver,” Swaddle explained in an article published on the college's website. “Does it attract the visual attention of the bird? Does it change the way they fly? Does it reduce the risk of them colliding with the mist net?”
A review of the video revealed that a large percentage of the birds flying through the sound column did indeed slow their flight speed by more than half. And some birds were able to avoid the mist net completely after being alerted by the directional sound.
“So it does seem to be working at some primary level,” Swaddle said. “It’s reducing the speed of the birds.” He noted that because of the scale of the flight corridor, Audio Spotlight speakers were placed about a half of a meter in front of the mist nets. “If you want to apply this to a building or to a wind turbine, that kind of free-flying situation, you’d project the sound field fifty or maybe a hundred meters in front. So when a bird enters that zone, it gets plenty of warning." Click here to read an article on the Acoustic Lighthouse project that was authored by Mr. Swaddle and fellow researcher Nicole Ingrassia.
For its use in unique projects like this one, the flexible and self-powered Audio Spotlight directional speaker is a powerful tool, ensuring that isolated audio is heard within a tight beam of sound, while keeping the surrounding area silent in public places where cutting-edge technology like the Acoustic Lighthouse may someday be implemented.
Contact us to learn more about how Audio Spotlight technology can benefit your project in the same way it has helped researchers at The College of William & Mary.
AUDIO SPOTLIGHT IN ACTION
Audio Spotlight is a revolutionary audio technology that creates sound in a narrow beam, just like light. Aim the flat, thin speaker panel to your desired listening area, and provide all of the sound and none of the noise.™ From museums, exhibits, and digital signage to retail stores and special projects, hundreds of companies have chosen this patented technology to provide high-quality, precisely controlled sound, while preserving the quiet.™
