Blind as a Bat

The Blind As A Bat sculptures trace possible trajectories of bats and model their use of sound waves for echo location. Version 1 – Pallid Bat Antrozous pallidu finds it’s source in the typical home of the Pallid Bat in crevices between large boulders. A set of large boulders has such a crevice and inspired the sculpture. Pallid Bats usually leave their cave late at night and fly for several hours while foraging for their prey of scorpions, crickets, and other insects. I took just the initial segment of the night’s feeding journey and projected what would be a logical trajectory towards and down the wash. The yellow tubing represents the flight trajectory with the red lines representing the ray tracing of sound waves caused by the bat’s high pitched chirping. Two points along this one trajectory are modeled for sound. Given the formlessness of the desert, the trajectory of an animal that locates its position in the world and that of its prey without the use of sight seemed appropriate.