Abstract
I will talk about project MELA - Mating Ecology of a Lek-breeding Antelope. I will introduce a novel workflow that allows high-resolution 3D tracking (geo-referenced) of antelopes directly using aerial videos captured by drones. Our technique for the first time allows large scale multi-sensor monitoring of large animal herds (with 30 cm accuracy) without putting sensors on the animals. We use six UAVs (3 simultaneously) to record behavior for up to 2 hour. The data collection workflow is currently managed by manual pilots. I want to seek opinion of the robotics community for building fully automated and scalable monitoring systems for wild animals.
About the speaker
My research focuses on behavior patterns of insects, mammals and birds. I specialize in using large deployment of sensors and AI for studying wild groups of animals. Currently, I am a post-doc at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and University of Konstanz. Beyond academic research, I work as an independent artist and organize educational outreach activities around the world to support capacity building in local communities.