Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector

Listen to, record and identify bats using the Echo Meter Touch hardware module.

Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector App

"Echo Meter Touch Bat Detector" is an Android app that allows users to listen to, record, and identify bat echolocation calls using specialized hardware modules. With real-time audio translation and advanced Auto ID features, this app is designed for outdoor enthusiasts, researchers, and citizen scientists looking to explore the hidden world of bats. It offers visual spectrograms, recording options, and GPS mapping, making it a comprehensive tool for studying bat species.
Install from Google Play Store

App stats

Version: 3.0.3 (Last updated: 2024-08-20)
Creation date: 2017-11-10
Permissions
Location: approximate location (network-based), precise location (GPS and network-based)
Phone: read phone status and identity
Photos/Media/Files: read the contents of your USB storage, modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
Storage: read the contents of your USB storage, modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
Microphone: record audio
Wi-Fi connection information: view Wi-Fi connections
Device ID & call information: read phone status and identity
Other:
  • view network connections
  • pair with Bluetooth devices
  • full network access
  • draw over other apps
  • prevent device from sleeping

Ranking

Other platforms

Echo - Speech-to-Text Dictation (v1.92)
4.50 (4) 1,000
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App summary

Using the Echo Meter Touch 2 plug-in modules, available from www.wildlifeacoustics.com, Amazon, or through distributors worldwide, this app allows you to listen to, record, and automatically identify bats by their ultrasonic echolocation calls. The modules and this companion app reveal the silent and often times invisible world of bats, providing outdoor enthusiasts, citizen scientists, and researchers an affordable and informative way to interact with these important creatures.

There are two models available: Echo Meter Touch 2 (EMT2) costs $179 and is intended for nature enthusiasts and batting hobbyists and Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro costs $349 and is designed for bat professionals and features a higher quality microphone, adjustable gain, and higher sample rate.

The Echo Meter Touch Ultrasonic Modules sense ultrasonic signals, digitize the signal, and transmit the ultrasonic data to your the app on your Android device. The EMT2 offers exclusive features and unprecedented ease-of-use for a handheld bat detector.

LISTEN TO BAT’S ECHOLOCATIONS
EMT2 translates bat echolocations into frequencies that are audible to humans using two technologies. Wildlife Acoustics’ patented Real Time Expansion (RTE) allows you to listen to bats in real time with unparalleled fidelity. RTE maintains the timing and tonality of the original echolocations. Heterodyne (HET) listening via manual and automatic tuning is also available, for those accustomed to that way of hearing bats.

VIEW THE ECHOLOCATIONS ON A SPECTROGRAM
A real-time spectrogram shows the frequencies and timing of the echolocations. Scroll back in time and zoom in on previous "bat passes."

SEE MOST LIKELY BAT SPECIES IN REAL-TIME***
The Auto ID feature analyzes the echolocation calls and suggests the two most likely bat species matches in real time. This is the same technology used in our professional Kaleidoscope Pro Bat Auto Identification software. Currently, the app can identify 26 species in North America, 25 in Europe and 57 in the neotropics. For more information on Kaleidoscope and a full list of species, visit our website.

RECORD .WAV FILES
Activate triggered recording mode to automatically save bat passes to full spectrum .wav files for analysis on a computer or to view on your Android device. Or use manual record mode to control start and stop of recording. View the recording spectrogram and add voice or text notes. Listen to the recording using RTE, HET, or traditional Time Expansion Playback (playback at fractional speed to make the ultrasound audible).

SEE YOUR PATH AND RECORDING LOCATIONS
View in satellite or road map view. View identified species codes directly on the map. Go to the recording's spectrogram from the map view. Transfer to your computer to view in Google Earth. Your Android device must have GPS capability or you must use a Bluetooth GPS receiver for this functionality.
Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

TRANSFER RECORDINGS TO YOUR COMPUTER
The EMT2 can transfer the .wav recordings to your computer over a Wi-Fi network or cabled through iTunes. Using Wi-Fi, the app bundles the recordings in a .zip folder and allows download by entering a URL in any web browser.

SHARE RECORDINGS VIA EMAIL OR MMS MESSAGING
And import and open files that have been shared with you.

***Because bats vary their echolocation calls in response to a wide variety of needs, no automated identification can achieve 100% accuracy in species identification. Auto-ID, though largely accurate, should not be relied on as a basis for scientific research. Auto-ID is intended for use in analyzing recordings of single bats in free flight in low clutter environments. Auto-ID will not work well on recordings of roost emergence, multiple or captive bats, bats in high clutter environments, or bat social calls. Auto-ID does not include every possible bat for each of the covered regions.

User reviews

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Google Play Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.
Pros
  • Great functionality for detecting and visualizing bat calls
  • User-friendly for sharing information and conducting research
  • Ability to record and convert ultrasonic sounds into audible ones
  • Includes many features packed into one app
Cons
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices and models
  • App presentation and navigation need improvement
  • Confusing auto-ID feature and manual tagging limitations
  • Problems with GPS functionality and inaccurate location tracking
Most mentioned
  • Compatibility issues with various smartphone models
  • Lagging and notification problems in the app
  • Challenges with the latest updates affecting file storage and access
  • User interface is not intuitive and requires a learning curve
User reviews
Great app! Walking through public land and it scans bats as they pass. Working well for my college practicum project!
by War Cat, 2024-09-11

Simple to use and provides great info and enjoyment. Whether I am sharing information on our amazing diversity of life or conducting inventory or research, the app is there to help. The algorithms will only improve, making the findings ever more reliable.
by Chris Pague, 2024-07-25

Appear Incompatible with Samsung S24 Ultra. Worked great with S22 Ultra, but S24 Ultra does not recognize the module. I have tried all the suggestions on the site without success. The list of compatible devices, while referenced a number of times on the site, appears to have been removed. Any suggestions as to how to get the S24 to recognize the module would be greatly appreciated.
by James Robinson, 2024-04-09
View all user reviews