Flight paths indicated by light trails encircle lab manager Yuka Minton (left) and professor Michael Yartsev in their fully automated bat flight room. A 16-camera array mounted on the ceiling monitors the bats’ position in 3D space as they explore a room covered in black foam to minimize acoustic reverberations.

A bat explores the fully automated flight room, as seen in slow-motion.

A camera array tracks bats’ precise location in 3D space as they navigate the automated flight room.