Humans can now decode the strange language of bats into comprehensible words and sentences thanks to the Bat Billboard (by Chris Woebken and Natalie Jeremijenko), an interactive billboard that creates novel social interactions between bats and humans while doubling as their shelter. The billboard contains a monitoring equipment inside which uses voice-recognition software to map and translate the calls of resident bats, matching them to archives of various call patterns and meanings, (currently being compiled by biologists), then displaying the resulting messages on a screen. While bats are known to serve a key role in many ecosystems, in urban habitats, they are often seen as threats or pests. The Bat Billboard seeks to dispel this misinformation by enabling them to communicate with us about their need in the urban environment. The billboard also provides a sturdy infrastructure for the city bats to live and hibernate, an attempt to help them counteract the mysterious White Nosed Syndrome (a disease and environmental health emergency that millions of New York bats have dies from since 2007) and other threats to their population.
The voice recognition system is a bit questionable, but if the system is accurate in transcoding animal language, just imagine the prospect of a future where humans and animals can communicate through words.
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hilite head 
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