Sensors already equip a range of tools to enhance monitoring capacity for conservation. Some of the higher bandwidth technologies, like camera traps and acoustic monitoring systems, have been essential elements of the conservation toolkit for decades, and thus have enough users that we've created dedicated WILDLABS groups to address them. But a whole range of lower bandwidth sensors beyond these core technologies are being increasingly integrated into conservation monitoring systems, and offer rich new insights into the wildlife and ecosystems we're all working to protect. As with many technologies, cost and access have historically been challenges to the adoption of new sensors, but with low-cost and open-source solutions on the rise, we're excited to see what the future of this space holds.
Getting Started with Sensors:
- Watch Shah Selbe's Tech Tutors episode on scaling FieldKit, an open-source conservation sensor toolbox, from a project to a successful conservation tech product.
- Check out our Virtual Meetup about Low-Cost, Open-Source Solutions in conservation tech, including a talk by Alasdair Davies on the Arribada Initiative's work with thermal sensors in early warning systems.
- For a more in-depth introduction, watch the first video in our datalogger mini-series: Freaklabs: How do I get started with Arduino?
In this group, you'll meet others who are using and innovating diverse sensors in their work, discuss ways to make sensors more effective & accessible for conservationists, learn about what sensors are already helping us accomplish in the field, and have the opportunity to ask and answer questions. Join this group to get started!
Header image: Emma Vogel, University of Tromsø
- @Mauricio_Akmentins
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National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET)
Herpetologist and conservationist, focused on the conservation of the endemic and threatened amphibian species of NW Argentina.
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- 6 Groups
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- 3 Groups
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
- 1 Resources
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- @YvanSG
- | he/him
Clemson University
Seabird ecologist at Clemson University, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Co-chair of Caribbean Seabird Working Group.
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- 53 Discussions
- 6 Groups
Prof at NC State University and Scientist at NC Museum of Natural Sciences
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I'm a Mechanical Engineer and I have been involved in test and measurement, IT maintenance consulting, database development, field installation, field maintenance, systems analysis, theater composition and an active synthesist. Currently engaged in conservation volunteer work
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- 7 Groups
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- @tutgut5
- | she/her
- 0 Resources
- 6 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- @NevilleCLS
- | He/Him
CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites)
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 14 Groups
Cornell University
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- 6 Groups
Smart Parks
Founder of Smart Parks - www.smartparks.org / Founder of OpenCollar - https://opencollar.io
- 0 Resources
- 13 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @tmcgrath
- | He / Him
Geographer, Program Manager, Engineering Manager
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
The miniaturisation of technology is rapidly opening up new possibilities for conservationists and environmental scientists in need of less invasive, easy to deploy solutions. University of Washington researchers have...
13 October 2020
To celebrate the first Black Mammalogists Week (starting Sunday, September 13th), we talked to four of the amazing Black scientists behind this event! Find out what they had to say about their favorite (and most...
10 September 2020
Today, WWF conservation engineering intern Ashley Rosen shares insight into the process of redesigning a camera mount for FLIR thermal cameras used by rangers in the fight against poaching. Ashley's design will become a...
24 August 2020
Our first season of Tech Tutors may have wrapped, but the connections and collaborations from these episodes are still going strong! Today, we're sharing Tech Tutor presenter Laure Joanny's recap of the most important...
20 August 2020
Today, Sustainable Fishing Challenges group leader Daniel Steadman discusses how fishing gear itself could benefit from fresh technological innovations to prevent both environmental damage and damage to species and...
19 August 2020
Funding
Protecting elephants from conservation's most pressing issues like poaching and human-wildlife conflict requires big, bold, and innovative solutions. Hackster.io, Smart Parks, Edge Impulse, Microsoft, and several other...
11 August 2020
Since 2016, ZSL’s Instant Detect team have been working on improving metal detecting sensors for anti-poaching. The team believe that using metal detecting sensors will provide a highly targeted detection of potential...
10 August 2020
As we launch our new Sustainable Fishing Challenges group in the WILDLABS community, we are excited to welcome Daniel Steadman, the group manager, to give us an overview of three major areas in which #tech4wildlife...
4 August 2020
In this case study from herpetologist Emily Taylor, we learn about the best methods and gear used to track snakes, lizards, and other reptiles and amphibians via radio-telemetry, and how these techniques have changed...
31 July 2020
What is it like to track endangered species using drones? In this blog post from Wildlife Drones, Dr. Debbie Saunders travels to New Zealand to track the Kākāpō, an extemely rare and elusive bird of which approximately...
8 July 2020
In this three-part WILDLABS feature article series, we take a look at the various technologies used to fight the greatest threat to wild condors, lead poisoning, explore the innovations changing the ways we study and...
2 July 2020
In this three-part WILDLABS feature article, we're taking a look at the various technologies used to fight the greatest threat to wild condors, lead poisoning, explore the innovations that may change the way we study...
25 June 2020
December 2023
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Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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I couldn't agree more with both of these comments tom! I'm reading hundreds (literally hundreds) of applications for open WILDLABS roles at the moment, and the ones that stand out... |
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AI for Conservation, Drones, Early Career, Sensors | 1 year 2 months ago | |
Oh good call! I'll add that to our events calendar as well :) |
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Remote Sensing & GIS, Sensors | 1 year 3 months ago | |
Rainforest Connection's (RFCx) Guardian devices may be of interest. They are solar-powered and have connectivity options for Wifi, GSM and satellite transfer. They've previously... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Connectivity, Data management and processing tools, Protected Area Management Tools, Sensors | 1 year 4 months ago | |
Hey Tom,Since the output is dependent on a couple of factors such as the solar irradiance of the place, shading from the canopy, the type of solar panels (mono, poly or amorphous... |
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Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Camera Traps, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Sensors | 1 year 4 months ago | |
My original background is in ecology and conservation, and am now in the elected leadership of the Gathering for Open Science Hardware which convenes researchers developing open... |
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AI for Conservation, Biologging, Camera Traps, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Data management and processing tools, Drones, Emerging Tech, Sensors | 1 year 4 months ago | |
I just came across this interesting paper in which seismic monotoring of animals like elephants was mentioned. This is the study refered to:Cheers,Lars |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Remote Sensing & GIS, Sensors | 1 year 5 months ago | |
Awesome! it would be great to hear how you get on, maybe you can share your results here when you have them. Is the camera only for the Pi? That could be a problem for scaling as... |
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Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, Sensors | 1 year 5 months ago | |
Dear colleaguesWe study CH4 (and, CO, CO2) emissions from solid waste dumps in Brazil. We seek a low-cost and accurate sensor to make a... |
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Sensors | 1 year 7 months ago | |
Hi Everyone,We chose sigfox becuase it seems to have better range and is plug-play, whereas LoRa requires more custom programming and updating. Getting a gateway cost us $... |
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Biologging, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Camera Traps, Connectivity, Emerging Tech, Sensors | 1 year 7 months ago | |
here's an example of what I'm doing. |
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Sensors | 1 year 7 months ago | |
Hi there Camilo, What an interesting project! If you are looking for a lower cost, but effective tools for acoustic monitoring you might want to look into two options: ... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Data management and processing tools, Sensors, Software and Mobile Apps | 1 year 8 months ago | |
Done lots of this over the years and it depends on the species really. If you want incubation behaviour and hence success or otherwise using temperature then the Thermocron... |
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Biologging, Sensors, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Camera Traps | 1 year 8 months ago |
3yr Postdoctoral Associate: Remote Sensing and Unoccupied Aircraft Systems
10 August 2022 5:29pm
Sulcata tortoise tracker options
8 August 2022 10:07pm
CERES TAG
22 July 2022 3:36am
The battery challenge - how to reduce battery waste
8 February 2019 2:00pm
15 July 2022 10:09pm
So-called "Li-Ion AA" batteries are a potential alternative to NiMH for applications requiring AA form-factor batteries. These "batteries" contain internal power converter to go from Li-Ion cell voltage (3.7V) to AA standard 1.5 Volt. Based on lab (not field) experiments, they perform better than NiMH over temperature, and have a longer lifetime, though they are more expensive. I suspect they have the same (eventual) disposal issues.
Deep Tech: Rechargeable Li-Ion AA Batteries for Trail Cameras - Winterberry Wildlife
I report on capacities of EBL, Pownergy, and Tenavolts rechargeable Li-Ion AA batteries under trail camera load and temperature conditions.
Winterberry WildlifeTrail Camera Batteries: Internal AA-Cell Options - Winterberry Wildlife
Trail cameras need power. In this post, I cover primary and rechargeable trail camera batteries including capacities and a selection guide.
Winterberry Wildlife15 July 2022 10:16pm
On the topic of potential sources for harvested power, and in the category of "out there"... I have spent some considerable (likely too much) time exploring harvesting power from diurnal temperature variation using thermal reservoir(s) and thermo-electric generator(s). The physics is not too bad, but the engineering is a bear. Project currently on hold, but if someone is interested, happy to discuss.
Earth Species Project - Senior AI Research Scientist
15 July 2022 6:40pm
Fast Company Feature: Smart Parks
14 July 2022 4:19pm
A Triphibian Surveillance Vehicle
9 July 2022 2:23pm
Conservation Technology and the Supply Chain
16 June 2022 2:27pm
Multiple Roles with Rainforest Connection
16 June 2022 9:15am
Join Seeed’s “IoT Into the Wild Contest for Sustainable Planet 2022” on Hackster to Get 100 Free Hardware and to Win $14,000+ in Prizes!!
14 June 2022 11:04am
Join Seeed’s “IoT Into the Wild Contest for Sustainable Planet 2022” on Hackster to Get 100 Free Hardware and to Win $14,000+ in Prizes!!!
14 June 2022 9:14am
Video: Delivering edge computing on Robinson Crusoe Island (Chile) to preserve biodiversity
13 June 2022 2:08pm
Nutrient sensors - affordable, user-friendly, effective - do they exist?
26 April 2022 12:49pm
6 May 2022 7:08pm
Hi Samantha,
This looks like a really interesting and beneficial project. Wishing you all the best with it.
Are you scouting for sensors that are archival and deployed / recovered over set period of time, or do you need telemetry / daily / hourly data to monitor change from tethered buoys etc? We are working on a similar solution with another partner, although not with microfuid-based sensors, but there are similar barriers regarding cost reduction and data collection.
Kind regards,
Alasdair
12 May 2022 3:43pm
It sounds like you're looking for multiparameter probes to deploy in the water to log in situ readings as part of the baseline you want to establish, and you might be deploying BRUVs, doing video transects, or taking soundscapes in addition, if I'm not too far off the mark.
The multiparameter probes will run you around USD10k each, kitted for let's say pH, conductivity, DO, turbidity, nitrate, and temperature. If you can rent these probes and the manpower to run them, that may be the best option if local expertise is lacking, as there are subtle gotchas. You might want to look into an automatic winched system which raises and lowers the probe, so you get readings throughout the whole water column. This may not be much more expensive than having 3 probes (at surface, bottom, and mid-depth). Other advantages include reduced biofouling (since the probe parks in air) and potentially reduced maintenance load due to this. But the disadvantages include fishers tying up to the system and boats colliding with it, and birds pooping on it, all of which have happened to me.
4 June 2022 7:55pm
What exact nutrients or parameters are you trying to measure?
Post-doc in Multi-Sensor Fusion for Animal Biomechanics
1 June 2022 9:56am
UKAN+ Monitoring UK Biodiversity Symposium 15-16th June
31 May 2022 2:58pm
UCL East Light Fabrication Workshop Manager
31 May 2022 11:12am
WILDLABS Virtual Meetups Season Four: Tracking Progress
29 April 2022 9:57am
Join the Black Mammalogists Week Hackathon!
19 April 2022 12:00am
Spotting primates w/ thermal scope
7 April 2021 1:33am
14 April 2021 2:02pm
Thanks, Carly. I did see this and didn't glean much from it, if I'm honest. Some more specifics on features, prices and tradeoffs when selecting a unit would've been welcome.
14 April 2021 8:42pm
Yeah, it did seem fairly general, but figured I'd throw it in.
I just actually came across this on Twitter - https://twitter.com/ElieDoesEcology/status/1380708784050331651?s=20. Perhaps worth shooting the authors of this paper an email on what tech they used/any advice?
4 April 2022 3:02pm
Iray PH35. like a DV . thermal camera. 640*328,35mm. could make videos. 2400 USD, china product, easy ship to Vietnam.
1km is the range to check monkeys, It is better to connect with your laptop or iPad when you are looking for wildlife, big screen for a good view.
Apply now: Women in Conservation Technology Programme, Kenya
8 March 2022 12:00am
Opportunity: Graphic Designer
8 March 2022 12:00am
Scale with data logger
7 January 2022 4:25pm
18 January 2022 1:23pm
Hi,
Can you clarify what you mean by "does not work"?
If I were to guess, I'd say the firmware temperature compensation tables for the load cell tops out at 40 deg C (104 deg F). Everything else should still function to 70 deg C, which is the most common and most lax rating for electronic components.
If this is the case, then the scale probably still retains precision (output is repeatable) even if it is inaccurate (output is wrong-ish), so it's possible to calibrate it. This could be as simple as tabulating the measured weights of standard weight samples at different temperatures, to adjust the output of your scale in post processing. Unfortunately this means you also need to log the temperature, and you'd want to store the scale at close to ambient temperature so it quickly equilibrates (a good idea regardless) when you need to use it.
The race to save California's rarest butterflies
29 November 2021 12:00am
Choosing the right IoT connectivity solution
19 November 2021 12:00am
ECG/heart rate & body temperature sensor
13 October 2021 4:43pm
15 October 2021 9:51am
Hi Guy,
Sparkfun carry an ECG module, but I don't know if this will work with sheep/goats. They've got lots of temperature sensors too, but I would look into something like MAX30205 if you need accuracy.
5 November 2021 6:28pm
Do you mean the sensor itself (that you're going make a tag out of) or a datalogger that records heart rate (sensor incoporated into a tag already)? Vectronic make some good terrestrial animal physiological sensors.
(trial) Habitat use within enclosure
5 November 2021 2:20pm
Proximity detection in koalas
12 August 2021 8:20am
24 October 2021 4:45pm
A great proximity system you've developed @LuciKirkpatrick ! Amazing! I am curious how you deal with having tags in receive mode long enough to ensure a contact is logged? What's the chances of a contact being missed because a transmission doesn't overlap with a receiver being on? It seems like not very often given the comparison with camera trap data!
Thanks so much for sharing and looking forward to reading more about the build.
Cheers,
Rob
4 November 2021 9:15am
Hi @Rob+Appleby , thanks for your kind words about our system! We ge around this by ensuring that the tag is in receive mode at least as long as the pause between two proximity transmissions. There is still the odd chance that some interference occurs or two or more transmissions collide, but generally it is pretty reliable.
4 November 2021 12:26pm
Hi @LuciKirkpatrick
Aha! A great strategy. I thought it might have been a 'wake on radio' solution, but the overlapping wait time is a really nice solution. Again, a great solution and looking forward to more build details etc., as they arrive.
All the best,
Rob
Opportunity: μMoth v1.1 Group buy
4 November 2021 12:00am
Tech Tutors: How do I turn a conservation tech project into a product?
27 October 2021 11:23am
Technical Difficulties: Expect the Unexpected
27 October 2021 12:00am
29 June 2022 8:47pm
Realizing I'm hopping onto this thread late, but I think one of the easiest ways to handle batteries is simply to work to minimize energy consumption--identify areas where we can improve deployment duration while generating comparable ecological knowledge. For example, in the case of the acoustic sensors I work with, can we reduce sample rates and still pick up our species of interest? Can we use a sparser duty cycle while still generating sufficient information to answer whatever our relevant questions are?