Flower Classification by Bats: Radar Comparisons

Abstract

In recent years, with the development of high-range resolution radars, the desire to identify targets under all weather and clutter conditions has become of great importance. This is an activity carried out with great success by echo-locating mammals such as nectar feeding bats that are able to detect and select flowers of bat-pollinated plants, even in a dense clutter environment. Herein, data consisting of acoustically-generated high-range resolution profiles of four bat-pollinated flower heads are analysed. Multi-perspective classification performance is assessed and compared with the radar case. There are close parallels that suggest lessons can be learnt from nature.