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Sensors / Feed

Want to talk about sensors that don't quite fit into any of our tech-specific groups? This is the place to post! From temperature and humidity to airflow and pressure sensors, there are many environmental sensing tools that can add valuable data to core conservation monitoring technologies. With the increasing availability of low-cost, open-source options, we've seen growing interest in integrating these kinds of low bandwidth sensors into existing tools. What kinds of sensors are you working with?

discussion

sound loop devise

I need to create something to play a sound loop 24/7 for at least 4 weeks solar powered. I am currently working with solar powered speakers and an mp3 player hooked up...

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I reckon if you could get down to a power consumption of 2-3Ah per day like our system had then a battery of 20Ah is suitable for a week and you wouldn't need inverters and solar panels etc. I agree that in your environment everything will struggle with being powered for 24hrs. I rarely have that problem to contend with! Will have a look at a temperature test of our design over the Summer and will share the details in a blog if it looks like it will prove a solution for all environments.

Hi Eric, I think you could do away with an inverter, and instead use something like a DC-DC step-down (sometimes called a 'buck') converter. The solar and battery system is 12VDC correct? Chances are that the MP3 player wall charger is pumping out something like 5VDC (it should be written on the side of the plug)? Something like this would work: https://www.altronics.com.au/p/z6338-dc-dc-converter-module-3.5-35v-input-5-56v-output/

or if it is a 12V battery as I suspect, virtually any 'car' charger for a phone would do (just as I suspect the powerbank will). Hopefully, a large capacity powerbank is enough anyway, and you don't even need solar...

Yes im hoping the power bank and a few extra mp3s will get it done this year. will look into a better system this winter now that I have some help:)

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article

Era of the Condor: A Species' Future in Recovery

Ellie Warren
In this three-part WILDLABS feature article, we'll take a look at the various technologies used to fight the greatest threat to endangered condors, explore the innovations that may change the way we study and understand...

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discussion

Notification systems for trap activation

Can anyone recommend trap alarm devices that send notifications (via SMS or email) when a trap has been activated? I work in remote locations (in Australia) with no phone...

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Hi Rahid,

Thanks for your reply. In answer to your questions:

#1

There would be no external power (or cell phone reception) available at any of the node? The nodes would need to be completely autonomous.

#2

Total number of nodes would likley be in the range of 100–200 within a project area.

#3

The maximum distance between two nodes would likely be 5 km.

#4

All i want to transmit is an alert to say whether a trap has been activated or not. No video is required.

 

Many thanks,

                       Andrew

 

Ok, we can customize a solution for you, but probably won't be able to get this out to you for around 3-4 months.

RF and mesh is our domain.  We can guarantee NLOS at well over  20 km+.

5KM in not a large distance. Not sure if LoRa can handle 200 nodes or work in the bush --- trees are the enemy of anything above 300 MHz.

I'm all for using HF (below 30MHz) or tactical VHF (30-108 MHz).

Would 1-1.6m antennas work?

 

---

I can email you a case study for a much more complex project that we did last December .

We were able to transmit video using 100KHz of bandwidth over a frequency of 30.5 MHz.  Our moving car was traveling at 130 km/h and achieved a 64km+ distance from the base station --- we used 50% less bandwidth to transmit video than what an FM radio station uses to transmit tunes and other meta data.  Our glass to glass (camera lense to monitor) latency was 24ms.

---

Our solutions don't require an expensive sattelite link or any phone network to work (although we can add those options).

What this means is that our radios will always work, come rain, come snow, et al. --- Satellite links are easily disrupted by a low cast / clouds , etc.

Our signals reflect and refract of the ground and the ionosphere to give you NLOS in any condition.

So a sensor based project of 200 nodes is no problem at all.

 

--- 

 

If waiting 3-4 months is not a big deal, then we can donate a few units to your project once we learn more about it.

 

---


 

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funding

Competition: iWildCam 2020

CVPR
Want to compete in the iWildCam 2020 competition identifying species in camera trap images to support biodiversity monitoring efforts and automatic species classification model improvements? Because the Workshop on Fine...

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article

Call for Submissions – Arm Research Summit 2020

Arm
The 2020 Arm Research Summit is accepting submissions from all research disciplines focusing on the role of technology in solving global challenges. Submissions should reflect the potential of sustainable, secure, and...

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article

Talking Tracking with Xerius

Ellie Warren
How does tracking technology meet the many challenges specific to monitoring birds within their home ranges and over long distances during migration? WILDLABS community member Virginie Perilhon from Xerius Tracking...

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event

#FieldKit50: Earth Day Giveaway

FieldKit
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this April 22nd, our friends at FieldKit are giving away 50 of their open source sensor stations! FieldKit believes that everyone, regardless of financial resources, should...

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article

WILDLABS Tech Hub: WWF PandaSat

WILDLABS Team
At the 2018 London Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference, we announced the WILDLABS Tech Hub, an accelerator programme created to support the development and scaling of groundbreaking technological solutions addressing the ...

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article

Connecting to MBARI's Deep-Sea Instruments

MBARI
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's MARS ocean observatory may someday make conducting deep-sea research more accessible and affordable thanks to Deep-Sea Connect, their new wireless system engineered to ...

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event

Online Workshop: Conservation Technology

Hack the Poacher
On Friday, March 27th, meet the Hack the Poacher team in this free online webinar to discuss the latest innovations in conservation technology. This interactive event offers the opportunity to make connections in the...

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article

Enter the Zooniverse: Try Citizen Science for Yourself!

Ellie Warren
Trapped inside during the COVID-19 quarantine and looking to engage with conservation science without leaving your desk? Citizen science projects like those on Zooniverse offer a great opportunity to impact scientific...

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article

#Tech4Wildlife 2020 Photo Challenge In Review

WILDLABS Team
2020 marked our fifth year holding our annual #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge, and our community made it a milestone to remember. Conservationists took to Twitter last week to share their best high-tech snapshots from...

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discussion

sound loop device

I need to play a loop of sound to desensitize animals for project. The system needs to be solar powered 24/7 for 2-3 months. I have solar powered speakers that work. I have solar...

0
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funding

Competition: Plastic Data Challenge

The Incubation Network
Are you ready for the Plastic Data Challenge? This global contest wants your innovative ideas for improving the plastic waste management and recycling chain in South and Southeast Asia. Participants can consider...

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funding

Call for Nominations: Tusk Conservation Awards

Tusk
The 2020 Tusk Awards are now accepting nominations of outstanding individuals who have made a significant impact on conservation in Africa. These nominations offer the rare and exciting opportunity to honor your peers...

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event

Hawai'i Conservation Conference

Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance
The Hawai'i Conservation Conference is accepting abstracts in several categories, including emerging technological advances in the conservation field. This is an exciting opportunity to present your latest research to...

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article

Fence-Based Elephant Early Warning System

Appiko
Technology is rapidly changing the way communities monitor wildlife movement and prevent or mitigate human-wildlife conflict. This case study from Appiko delves into field testing of the open source sensor warning...

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event

Workshop: Using Bioacoustics for Field Survey

CIEEM
CIEEM is hosting a one-day workshop in bioacoustic field survey methods at a beginning to intermediate level. Attendees will attend hands-on workshops, lectures, and computer sessions giving an overview on using...

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event

Hacking Climate Change - Coaction on Climate Crisis

COACT
COACT and Impact Hub are collaborating to present the opportunity to learn about how growing open technologies like drones and sensors can help activists in the fight against climate change. This free Barcelona-based...

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article

HWC Tech Challenge Update: Thermal Elephant Alert System

Anne Dangerfield
The Arribada Initiative is back with an update on their thermal elephant alert system which aims to reduce human-elephant conflict (HEC). The success of their system rests on the ability of a camera to accurately...

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