May 10, 2011 11:46 GMT  ·  By

Humans and dolphins are cooperating with each other on the creation of a common language, one that would enable the two species to establish basic communications with each other. Over time, that language could be expended to more complex terms and queries, experts believe.

Past studies have already demonstrated that these intelligent animals can understand about 100 words, as well as instructions relayed to them by their human trainers. However, we cannot yet communicate bilaterally, and allowing for this to happen is precisely the goal of the new effort.

Researchers in biology and artificial intelligence are currently working on a system that would be able to learn the language of dolphins starting from a few sounds, and moving forward from there. At this point, we know some of the sounds that dolphins are using for some specific actions.

The new communications system will be called Cetacean Hearing and Telemetry (CHAT), and its main purpose will be to pickup noises emitted by dolphins, and translate them into plain English. It will also be able to emit clicks that dolphins understand, which code what researchers are trying to say.

A CHAT device will be ready soon. Experts plant to test it this summer, in order to determine if dolphins would be interested in communicating with us, and to what extent. Furthermore, the system will learn while doing so.

This will enable it to start learning more about the basic units that make up dolphins' language. In the end, it could become possible for us to understand what they are saying, NewScientist reports.

CHAT was developed jointly by the Jupiter, Florida-based Wild Dolphin Project founder Denise Herzing and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) artificial intelligence researcher Thad Starner.

Some experts believe that the team may be partially successful in its quest, but doubt that basic units of language will be identified in these animals. There is a distinct possibility that there are no such units to begin with, critics say.

“We don't even know if dolphins have words. We could use their signals, if we knew them. We just don't,” Herzing concedes, adding that this is one extra reason to conduct the new study.