Collaborative Observatories for Natural Environments
Dezhen Song, Texas A&M
Ken Goldberg, UC Berkeley
http://www.c-o-n-e.org/
CONE-Welder is part of a larger project, CONE, a collaborative effort by computer scientists and engineers from Texas A&M and UC Berkeley consulting with natural scientists and documentary filmmakers. The goal is to advance the fundamental understanding of automated and collaborative systems that combine sensors, actuators, and human input to observe and record detailed natural behavior in remote settings.
Currently, scientific study of animals in situ requires vigilant observation of detailed animal behavior over weeks or months. When animals live in remote and/or inhospitable locations, observation can be an arduous, expensive, dangerous, and lonely experience for scientists. The project will investigate a new class of hybrid teleoperated/autonomous robotic \"observatories\" that allow groups of scientists, via the internet, to remotely observe, record, and index detailed animal activity. Such observatories are made possible by emerging advances in robotic cameras, long-range wireless networking, and distributed sensors.
NSF Award 0535218 (Goldberg) / 0534848 (Song)
Robotics and Robust Intelligence Program
Division of Information and Intelligent Systems
Directorate for Computer Science and Engineering
National Science Foundation