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Is echolocation bullshit? (self.Blind)
submitted by SarikaAmari
I am a sighted writer who is currently writing a blind character. He's got some fighting ability, primarily because he was an extremely skilled fighter when he was sighted. My friend brought up that he could potentially maintain his previous level of skill and sent me a video about echolocation.
Apparently there's this guy who tell the difference between like, a wood fence and a metal fence, and he gets detailed images in his brain from his echolocation.
I'm calling bullshit, mostly because there's no real Daredevils in the world, but I'd like to get blind people's opinion, mostly on how hard is to learn even if to a certain extent echolocation is possible.
For reference, my character is 18 and was blinded at 16. Could he have picked up echolocation in that span of time? If so, how skilled would he be?
Apologies for the likely stupid question, and thank you in advance.
Apparently there's this guy who tell the difference between like, a wood fence and a metal fence, and he gets detailed images in his brain from his echolocation.
I'm calling bullshit, mostly because there's no real Daredevils in the world, but I'd like to get blind people's opinion, mostly on how hard is to learn even if to a certain extent echolocation is possible.
For reference, my character is 18 and was blinded at 16. Could he have picked up echolocation in that span of time? If so, how skilled would he be?
Apologies for the likely stupid question, and thank you in advance.
DrillInstructorJan 5 points 2y ago
It does work but only at a very basic level. I can tell if doors are open or shut by snapping my fingers. As to fighting, no way, it takes too long to get any information on where something is, and it only really works in environments you know extremely well, where you know what it sounds like anyway.
I do judo and you can be competitive with judo without sight, including against people who can see. If you want a fighting style for your blind protagonist, go with something that involves grappling and he will want to go to the ground with it. The biggest realism issue with that is the idea that tiny people, and I'm barely five one, can somehow beat really huge and strong people with it, and you really can't. But you can compete without the sight issue being an issue.
I do judo and you can be competitive with judo without sight, including against people who can see. If you want a fighting style for your blind protagonist, go with something that involves grappling and he will want to go to the ground with it. The biggest realism issue with that is the idea that tiny people, and I'm barely five one, can somehow beat really huge and strong people with it, and you really can't. But you can compete without the sight issue being an issue.
eDisrturbseize 3 points 2y ago
Read up on Daniel Kish for human sonar.
As far as an influence or insight into a blind fighter- do yourself a favor and read up on Ronald Dlamini.
As far as an influence or insight into a blind fighter- do yourself a favor and read up on Ronald Dlamini.
AllHarlowsEve 2 points 2y ago
I've met multiple people who use echolocation as their primary method of travel, a few from countries that don't have huge agencies for the blind that give out canes like candy.
That said, the likelyhood a 16 year old would devote their time to immediately learning it and be able to perfectly use it, including in a fight, is basically zero. But, in a fist fight, you're usually close enough to each other that you don't need to see exactly where they are.
Also possible would be a partially blind person, someone who is blind enough to not see text or anything particularly useful, but with enough vision to see the rough outline of the person they're within a few feet of? Totally blind people are rare, and it'd be more interesting, imo, to read a story that's not about another former sighted, now total, who isn't affected by their blindness literally at all.
That said, the likelyhood a 16 year old would devote their time to immediately learning it and be able to perfectly use it, including in a fight, is basically zero. But, in a fist fight, you're usually close enough to each other that you don't need to see exactly where they are.
Also possible would be a partially blind person, someone who is blind enough to not see text or anything particularly useful, but with enough vision to see the rough outline of the person they're within a few feet of? Totally blind people are rare, and it'd be more interesting, imo, to read a story that's not about another former sighted, now total, who isn't affected by their blindness literally at all.
Fridux 2 points 2y ago
I can do echolocation, and I learned it by myself with sight, though I'm known for noticing details that almost nobody picks up.
Here's an experiment you can make: say "shhhhhhh" while moving your head back and forth close to a wall and notice how the sound bouncing off the wall changes slightly. If you managed to notice those changes then congratulations, you can do echolocation too. Now it's just a matter of training your hearing to improve the skill.
As to whether it's possible to determine the material composition of an object through echolocation, I personally doubt it.
Here's an experiment you can make: say "shhhhhhh" while moving your head back and forth close to a wall and notice how the sound bouncing off the wall changes slightly. If you managed to notice those changes then congratulations, you can do echolocation too. Now it's just a matter of training your hearing to improve the skill.
As to whether it's possible to determine the material composition of an object through echolocation, I personally doubt it.
BenandGracie 2 points 2y ago
I use it all the time. Yes, it is a real thing.
FlamingWhisk 2 points 2y ago
There’s a blind boy in the states who rides a bicycle out by himself. He makes clicking sounds to identify proximity to objects.
CloudyBeep 1 points 2y ago
Are you thinking of Ben Underwood? If so, he's dead, so you should probably change your comment to the past tense.
FlamingWhisk 2 points 2y ago
Young African American boy?
CloudyBeep 1 points 2y ago
Yes. The retinoblastoma which caused his blindness as a toddler returned when he was a teenager.
FlamingWhisk 3 points 2y ago
Oh that’s sad.
cae_jones 1 points 2y ago
It is real, but very low resolution. It's not *completely* useless in a fight, especially if your head is lower than your opponent's neck... but then your head is lower than your opponent's neck, which seems like a bigger disadvantage than the crappy low-res human echolocation is worth.
Let me put it this way: I've found people via echolocation before, and also collided with people in spite of decent conditions for echoes. It's better for navigating with large or particularly sonorous objects. My outside trashcan is acoustically helpful for navigating, but if I just took it to the road on garbage-day, suddenly it's easy to get lost in my own yard due to a cane-skills mishap.
Let me put it this way: I've found people via echolocation before, and also collided with people in spite of decent conditions for echoes. It's better for navigating with large or particularly sonorous objects. My outside trashcan is acoustically helpful for navigating, but if I just took it to the road on garbage-day, suddenly it's easy to get lost in my own yard due to a cane-skills mishap.
Superfreq2 1 points 2y ago
It's a thing, it helps me know where parked cars, telephone poles, and large bushes are for instance. It's also helpful for finding openings in walls. Most of the time it's a passive skill where I use the sound of my footsteps or cane subconsciously to provide the noise I need to get feedback.
If I'm in a wide open space like a parking lot, I might tap my cane or click my tongue louder once or twice just to help me find the front of the building, which will then help me find the front door by walking along it.
If I'm in a wide open space like a parking lot, I might tap my cane or click my tongue louder once or twice just to help me find the front of the building, which will then help me find the front door by walking along it.
juswundern 1 points 2y ago
I am sighted but I think there’s something to it.
https://youtu.be/08smCjKWNL0
https://youtu.be/08smCjKWNL0
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