Research scientist Jack Kassewitz has found that the iPad's touch-based interface is so intuitive that even some nonhuman species can use it. In this case, that species happens to be dolphins. Kassewitz is using iPads with custom-developed software to help facilitate two-way communication between humans and dolphins.
Kassewitz has worked for years studying the behavior and communication patterns of dolphins. Numerous studies on dolphin language show signs of advanced intelligence, and it is believed that the high-frequency sounds dolphins make underwater are capable of communicating information that is holographic in nature. Since humans don't communicate natively with holograms, Kassewitz is currently working on a project to build a symbolic language that dolphins and humans can use to communicate with one another.
Kassewitz searched for nearly two years to find a touchscreen device that dolphins could reliably activate with their rostrum (or beak), while still being powerful enough to record or play back the high frequency sounds associated with dolphin language and durable enough to work in underwater environments. He had originally settled on the Panasonic Toughbook, but recently began evaluating the iPad as an alternative.
The iPad is suited to Kassewitz's research in a number of ways. "It's small and lightweight," Kassewitz told Ars. "It's very forgiving. For example, if I turn it the 'wrong' way, it turns itself back the 'right' way. And the iPhone OS system is fast—more than fast enough for my use."
Kassewitz is currently using a sealable bag that protects the iPad underwater to depths of a few feet, though he is also working with Otterbox to make something more robust and with better anti-glare capabilities to make it easier for the dolphins to see the screen. Bluetooth allows him to connect to speakers to "hear" the underwater dolphin speech, and he can view a spectrograph of the sounds on the iPad's screen.
Kassewitz is also taking advantage of the undocumented USB audio capabilities of the iPad Camera Connection Kit to interface with some specialized audio recording equipment. He uses a series of underwater microphones (or hydrophones) to record the unique sound patterns of dolphin speech made while interacting with the iPad, to try and determine what patterns are associated with symbols displayed on the screen. "We think that once the dolphins get the hang of the touchscreen, we can let them choose from a wide assortment of symbols to represent objects, actions, and even emotions," Kassewitz said. He believes that his team will then be able to develop a rudimentary symbolic language.
"I've been doing this for a long time, just trying to understand dolphins as a species," Kassewitz told Ars. "One of the things I am convinced of is that dolphins are as frustrated with us as we are with them in terms of attempting to have some kind of cross-species communication."
The first step in building that system of communication is a very simple game wherein a dolphin named Merlin is shown an object, such as a ball or a rubber duck. (Kassewitz told us that dolphins respond well to the color yellow.) Then Merlin has to point to an image of the object on the iPad's screen, selecting it with his rostrum.
"Games are a relatively simple way to build an understanding between two animals—humans included," Kassewitz told Ars. "Games require agreements to work, and agreements require some high-level thinking." Ultimately, Kassewitz will build a library of symbols that dolphins can recognize that form the basis of "a complete language interface between humans and dolphins."
Kassewitz's research team will conduct more tests this July, pitting the Toughbook directly against the iPad to determine which platform will be used going forward. However, he believes that the iPad's size and weight advantage may prove to be the deciding factor. "We could use two or three iPads showing different sets of images, and the dolphin would be able to choose among them," he said.