Sonodar

File:Sonadar.jpg

See how his pinky sticks out? That means he's classy.

Sonadar is a type of sonic-based sensing technology used by the Transformers. Ironhide has a built in sonadar sensor array built into his forearm which extends to reveal a dish-like emitter. The findings of the array appear in the windshield on his chest. With the sonadar, Ironhide was able to detect the dinosaur fossils buried in a cavern in the volcano surrounding the Ark. The discovery of these fossils led the creation of the Dinobots.

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.