Biometrics used in Penguin Recognition Project
The Penguin Recognition Project also called Spot the Penguin is developing biometric hardware and software to allow remote monitoring and identification of large populations of African penguins using techniques that originated in computer vision and human biometrics. The new tracking system is able to detect unique markings on the penguins on Robben Island, South Africa.
The Researchers at the University of Bristol have built an autonomously operating system capable of monitoring and recognizing individual African penguins in their natural environment without tagging or otherwise disturbing the animals. Researchers have developed surveillance technology that can identify individual birds and then monitor them over long periods of time. Cameras capture images and send a time-stamped version of them in a live stream to locally connected laptop computers which identify members of species in real-time. The animal’s unique chest spot pattern allows the generation of a unique biometrical identifier for each penguin.
The research will improve understanding of the animals and may be used track other species. There are plans to commission a permanent monitoring system on penguin colony of nearly 20,000 individuals.
The Penguin Recognition Project is the flagship project of the COMBINE research collaboration at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. It is conducted together with the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The project is funded by the Leverhulme Trust, with long-term support in the field from the Earthwatch Institute, and with pilot tests run in collaboration with Bristol Zoo Gardens.
You can read more about the research at Spot the Penquin.
Editor fB
June 29, 2008
Read more about Biometric Industry Events and Conferences.
Read more about Biometric Industry Useful Links.
Read more about Biometric Technologies:
Fingerprint, Iris Recognition, Hand & Finger, Facial Recognition, Voice/Speaker, Consultants, Smart Cards/Multimodal, Signature/Keystroke, 2D Barcodes, Sensors, Middleware/Software, Vascular Pattern Recognition
Read more about Biometric Applications:
Physical Access Control, Logical Access Control, Justice/Law Enforcement, Time and Attendance, Border Control/Airports, HIPAA, Financial/Transactional, Integrators/Resellers, Safes, Door Locks, Other
June 29, 2008
back
