EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND — Researchers at the Heriot-Watt School of Engineering and Physical Sciences have tapped into bottlenose dolphins’ natural sonar and developed a technology that would enable better ocean exploration.

“Bottlenose dolphins have the most advanced sonar that there is. It’s the result of millions of years of evolution,” Dr. Keith Brown told Reuters. “They can out-perform all the technological solutions that we have.”

Currently, sonar technology like those employed by the U.S. Navy can only provide image outlines of objects in the ocean. But, researchers at the university in partnership with high-tech sonar and underwater systems company, Hydrason Solutions, and CENSIS, the Scottish Innovation Centre for sensor and imaging systems, have developed technology matching those of bottlenose dolphins.

Researchers have developed prototype sensors that use the same frequency and sound structures as dolphins.

Bottlenose dolphins not only can detect objects underwater with extreme accuracy, they can also identify different materials. The new technology enables users to do the same without making any direct contact.

The sensor could be useful in offshore pipelines, allowing experts to find blockages and predict the appearance of cracks. It could also help ecologists track the health of the marine environment and map the seafloor.