micrObs – A customizable time-lapse camera for ecological studies

HardwareX

Céline Le Bohec¹  Sebastian Richter²  Anna P. Nesterova²  Werner Schneider³  Daniel P. Zitterbart⁴  Francesco Bonadonna⁵  Aymeric Houstin⁶  Alexander Winterl⁶  Ben Fabry⁷ 

[1] CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France;Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA;Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France;CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France;Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Département de Biologie Polaire, Monaco, Monaco;Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany;INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, UMR 7247, Nouzilly, France;

关键词: Automated camera system;    Image processing;    Remote sensing;    Ecology;    Collective behavior;    Wildlife monitoring;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Camera traps for motion-triggered or continuous time-lapse recordings are readily available on the market. For demanding applications in ecology and environmental sciences, however, commercial systems often lack flexibility to freely adjust recording time intervals, suffer from mechanical component wear, and can be difficult to combine with auxiliary sensors such as GPS, weather stations, or light sensors. We present a robust time-lapse camera system that has been operating continuously since 2013 under the harsh climatic conditions of the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions. Thus far, we have recorded over one million images with individual cameras. The system consumes 122 mW of power in standby mode and captures up to 200,000 high-resolution (16 MPix) images without maintenance such as battery or image memory replacement. It offers time-lapse intervals between 2 s and 1 h, low-light or night-time power saving, and data logging capabilities for additional inputs such as GPS and weather data.

【 授权许可】

Unknown