One of the major challenges for biologists, ecologists, anthropologists, and other professionals who study animal activity is the exigency of fieldwork, particularly for rare, reclusive, and/or nocturnal species. This project aims to create an affordable, open-source tool to facilitate observation, specifically for moths and other nocturnal insect species. We use a microprocessor and computer vision analysis to enable remote data gathering and expedite data processing for observational research.
Interested in learning more? Read an article about the Mothitor or watch a webinar recording on automated moth monitoring.
My work on the mothitor spanned several months and three iterations. I spent time in the field practicing traditional moth observation methods and tested previous mothitor iterations to obtain a strong understanding of areas necessitating improvement, then planned and implemented designs in collaboration with biologists, ecologists, engineers, data scientists, and other computer scientists.