Publications

A browsable research list with local abstract previews, cleaner metadata, and faster scanning across methods, theory, and field systems.

methods · 2026

ESPERDYNE - A Dual-Band Heterodyne Monitor and Ultrasound Recorder for Bioacoustic Field Surveys.

Umadi, Ravi · Methods in Ecology and Evolution

1. Background. Ultrasonic monitoring is essential for ecological studies of bats and other animals, yet high-performance field devices remain prohibitively expensive and inacces...

Paper
research · August 25, 2025

Widefield Acoustics Heuristic - Advancing Microphone Array Design for Accurate Spatial Tracking of Echolocating Bats

Umadi, Ravi · BMC Ecology and Evolution

Accurate three-dimensional localisation of ultrasonic bat calls is essential for advancing behavioural and ecological research. I present a comprehensive, open-source simulation...

Paper
research · February 07, 2026

WAH-i - Optimising Microphone Array Geometry for Customised Localisation Accuracy

Umadi, Ravi · bioRxiv

1. Accurate spatial localisation of free-flying echolocating bats is foundational for resolving fine-scale flight behaviour, prey interception, and spatial decision-making in na...

Paper
research · 2026

Rates, Ripples, and Responsivity - The Geometry of Echolocation in Water-Foraging Bats

Umadi, Ravi · Pre-published

Water-surface foraging is a rare strategy among echolocating bats, requiring precise coordination between sonar emission, echo timing, and flight geometry. Here, I develop a geo...

Paper
methods · 2025

BATSY4-PRO - An Open-Source Multichannel Ultrasound Recorder for Field Bioacoustics

Umadi, Ravi · Under Review

1. Behavioural studies of acoustic communication in animals--particularly echolocating bats--require lightweight, power-efficient recording systems robust under field conditions...

Paper
Doctoral Dissertation · 2025

Echolocation Dynamics in Active Foraging and Pursuit

Umadi, Ravi · TUM School of Life Sciences. Accepted and Awarded

Echolocating bats rely on self-generated biosonar signals to perceive and navigate their environments. While traditional models treat echolocation as a rigid, reflexive behaviou...

research · 2025

Probabilistic Sensory Constraints Shape Swarm Cohesion in Echolocating Bats

Umadi, Ravi · Under Review

1. Cohesive animal groups rely on continuous behavioural updating to regulate spacing, alignment, and collision avoidance, yet all sensory-guided interaction is constrained by f...

Paper
research · 2025

Temporal Feasibility Constraints on Wingbeat-Call Synchrony in Actively Echolocating Bats.

Umadi, Ravi · Under Review

1. Echolocating bats coordinate sound production, echo reception, and flight within a closed sensorimotor loop that operates under finite propagation delays and bounded response...

Paper
research · 2025

Biosonar Responsivity Sets the Stage for the Terminal Buzz

Umadi, Ravi and Firzlaff, Uwe · Under Review

Echolocating bats dynamically adjust their sonar signals during prey pursuit, yet the mechanistic limits that govern these rapid transitions have remained unclear. Here, we intr...

Paper
research · 2025

Oscillating Ears Dynamically Transform Echoes in Constant-Frequency Bats

Umadi, Ravi · Under Review

Constant-frequency (CF) bats exhibit rapid oscillations of their external ears. Yet, the functional role of these movements has remained unresolved since their initial documenta...

Paper
research · 2019

The Monumental Mistake of Evicting Bats from Archaeological Sites—A Reflection from New Delhi

Umadi, Ravi and Dookia, Sumit and Rydell, Jens · Heritage

We highlight the importance of an integrated management policy for archaeological monuments and the insect-eating bats that roost inside them. We refer to India, but the issue i...

Paper
research · 2025

Coordination Without Coupling - Flexible Sensorimotor Strategies in Phyllostomus discolor

Umadi, Ravi and Wiegrebe, Lutz and Wisniewska, Danuta M. and Peremans, Herbert and Firzlaff, Uwe · in preparation

Echolocating bats must coordinate signal emission and reception to successfully navigate complex acoustic environments. While most mouth-emitting vespertilionids exhibit tightly...

Paper
research · 2025

Dynamic Beam Shaping in Phyllostomus discolor Is Driven by Noseleaf Morphology

Umadi, Ravi and Wiegrebe, Lutz and Wisniewska, Danuta Maria and Jakobsen, Lasse and Firzlaff, Uwe · in preparation

The dynamic control of sonar beam geometry is a hallmark of biosonar systems, yet the mechanistic basis and functional consequences of this flexibility remain incompletely under...

Paper
research · 2025

Conditional Sequiturs - a Framework for Analyzing Hierarchical, Recursively Adaptive Sensory-Motor Systems

Umadi, Ravi · Draft Ready

Understanding complex biological systems requires frameworks that capture not only causal relationships but also the conditional, hierarchical, and recursive nature of events as...

Paper