Macquarie University · Science Communication
The man who taught himself to see using sound. Two videos, 7.3 million combined views, and a session inside an anechoic chamber where he echolocated a container lid in complete silence.
Daniel Kish is known as "the real-life Batman." He lost his sight as a baby, but taught himself to navigate the world using human echolocation — making clicking sounds with his tongue and listening to the way those sounds bounce off surfaces. He can ride bikes, hike trails, map rooms, and identify objects at a distance. He's taught the technique to hundreds of blind people worldwide.
His story is equal parts inspiring and mind-blowing — which made him the perfect subject for a video that blends curiosity with impact. He came to Macquarie University as part of a research collaboration, and I was there with a camera.
"He could point to where a container lid was sitting in a completely silent, sound-absorbing room. Just from a click."
Video 01 · Human Echolocation
The first reel featuring Daniel exploded. Introducing him to the Macquarie University audience — who he is, what he can do, and why it matters. The response proved how much audiences connect with authentic, jaw-dropping stories.
Total watch time
1 year, 212 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes
Researched, produced, filmed & edited by
Owen Williams & Bita Ghanbari
Video 02 · PHD Daniel Kish Explores Human Echolocation · May 2025
Because the response to video one was so strong, we went deeper. A second video exploring Daniel's abilities and research in more detail — proving that doubling down on what audiences love is always the right call.
Researched, produced, filmed & edited by
Owen Williams & Bita Ghanbari
The moment that stuck
An anechoic chamber is engineered to absorb all reflected sound — no echo, no reverberation. It's the worst possible environment for someone who navigates by listening to sound bounce off surfaces.
We placed a container lid somewhere in the room. Daniel made a single click. He pointed directly at it. The researchers hadn't seen anything like it at that distance, in those conditions. It became the centrepiece of the third session.
Anechoic Chamber
Macquarie University
No reflections. No echo.
One click.
Across both videos, I was responsible for research, filming, and editing alongside Bita Ghanbari. These weren't scripted productions — they were documentary-style shoots where the goal was capturing something real and making it accessible to a social media audience. The central creative challenge on every shoot was the same: echolocation is auditory. Finding ways to visually communicate what Daniel was doing — what it looks like when someone navigates by sound — is what made these videos work.