Jason Parham

Elijah Cole, Suzanne Stathatos, Björn Lütjens et al. · mit

Computer vision can accelerate ecology research by automating the analysis of raw imagery from sensors like camera traps, drones, and satellites. However, computer vision is an emerging discipline that is rarely taught to ecologists. This work discusses our experience teaching a diverse group of ecologists to prototype and evaluate computer vision systems in the context of an intensive hands-on summer workshop. We explain the workshop structure, discuss common challenges, and propose best practices. This document is intended for computer scientists who teach computer vision across disciplines, but it may also be useful to ecologists or other domain experts who are learning to use computer vision themselves.

Adam Romlein, Benjamin X. Hou, Yuval Boss et al.

We introduce KAMERA: a comprehensive system for multi-camera, multi-spectral synchronization and real-time detection of seals and polar bears. Utilized in aerial surveys for ice-associated seals in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas around Alaska, KAMERA provides up to an 80% reduction in dataset processing time over previous methods. Our rigorous calibration and hardware synchronization enable using multiple spectra for object detection. All collected data are annotated with metadata so they can be easily referenced later. All imagery and animal detections from a survey are mapped onto a world plane for accurate surveyed area estimates and quick assessment of survey results. We hope KAMERA will inspire other mapping and detection efforts in the scientific community, with all software, models, and schematics fully open-sourced.