scholarly journals PiRATeMC: A highly flexible, scalable, and affordable system for obtaining high quality video recordings for behavioral neuroscience.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel W Centanni ◽  
Alexander CW Smith
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Video Quality ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Infrared Light ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Recording Equipment ◽  
Camera System

With the recent development and rapidly accelerating adoption of machine-learning based rodent behavioral tracking tools such as DeepLabCut, one common variable that can impact the quality and consistency of results is the camera system. Many experimenters use webcams, GoPros, or other commercially available cameras that are not only relatively expensive, but offer very little flexibility over recording parameters. These cameras are not optimized for recording many types of behavioral experiments, which can lead to suboptimal video quality. Furthermore, it is a challenge, if not impossible, to synchronize multiple cameras with each other, or to send/receive a trigger with external signals such as a TTL pulse or a network connection. We have developed an affordable ecosystem of behavioral recording equipment, PiRATeMC (Pi-based Remote Acquisition Technology for Motion Capture), that relies on Raspberry Pi Camera Boards that are ideal for recording in both bright light, low light, and dark conditions under infrared light. PiRATeMC offers users control over nearly every recording parameter. This setup can easily be scaled up and synchronously controlled in clusters via a self-contained network to record a large number of simultaneous behavioral sessions without burdening institutional network infrastructure. Furthermore, the Raspberry Pi is an excellent platform for novice and inexperienced programmers interested in using an open-source recording system, with a large online community that is very active in developing novel open-source tools. Moreover, it easily interfaces with Arduinos and other microcontrollers, allowing simple synchronization and interfacing of video recording with nearly any behavioral equipment using GPIO pins to send or receive 3.3V or 5V signals, I2C, or serial communication.

scholarly journals An inexpensive remotely-operated video recording system for continuous behavioral observations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.David Weber ◽  
Heidi S. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Recording System ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Live Streaming ◽  
Recording Technology ◽  
Peromyscus Californicus ◽  
Observer Effects

AbstractVideo recording technology is an important tool for studies of animal behavior because it reduces observer effects and produces a record of experiments, interactions among subjects, and contextual information, however it remains cost prohibitive for many researchers. Here we present an inexpensive method for building a remotely-operated video recording system to continuously monitor behavioral or other biological experiments. Our system employs Raspberry Pi computers and cameras, open-source software, and allows for wireless networking, live-streaming, and the capacity to simultaneously record from several cameras in an array. To validate this system, we continuously monitored home-cage behavior of California mice (Peromyscus californicus) in a laboratory setting. We captured video in both low- and bright-light environments to record behaviors of this nocturnal species, and then quantified mating interactions of California mouse pairs by analyzing the videos with an open-source event logging software. This video recording platform offers users the flexibility to modify the specifications for a range of tasks and the scalability to make research more efficient and reliable to a larger population of scientists.

scholarly journals One Metre Plus (1M+): A Multifunctional Open-Source Sensor for Bicycles Based on Raspberry Pi

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 5812
Author(s):  
Andres Henao ◽  
Philippe Apparicio ◽  
David Maignan
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Essential Tool ◽  
Geographical Position ◽  
Motorized Vehicles ◽  
Comparability Of Results

During the last decade, bicycles equipped with sensors became an essential tool for research, particularly for studies analyzing the lateral passing distance between motorized vehicles and bicycles. The objective of this article is to describe a low-cost open-source sensor called one metre plus (1m+) capable of measuring lateral passing distance, registering the geographical position of the cyclist, and video-recording the trip. The plans, codes, and schematic design are open and therefore easily accessible for the scientific community. This study describes in detail the conceptualization process, the characteristics of the device, and the materials from which they are made. The study also provides an evaluation of the product and describes the sensor’s functionalities and its field of application. The objective of this project is to democratize research and develop a platform/participative project that offers tools to researchers worldwide, in order to standardize knowledge sharing and facilitate the comparability of results in various contexts.

scholarly journals Secure protection of video recorder video in smart car

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 155014771668179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheonshik Kim ◽  
Dongkyoo Shin ◽  
Dongil Shin ◽  
Chin-Nung Yang
Keyword(s):  
Video Quality ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Image Method ◽  
Watermark Image ◽  
Recording Equipment ◽  
Video Recorder ◽  
Watermark Method ◽  
Car Accident ◽  
Watermarking Scheme ◽  
Video Format

Many automobile drivers have come to believe that installation of video recording equipment in a car is essential to providing evidence in case of a car accident and to facilitate reporting to police. Thus, it is important to develop an in-vehicle video recorder with high resolution to document accidents. To provide such video quality, the H.264 video format, which offers high compression and good quality, has been used for an in-vehicle video recorder. However, due to problems with fabricated evidence of digital records, we propose a new watermark method to authenticate in-vehicle video. This watermarking scheme authenticates and protects in-vehicle video. The proposed scheme manipulates the quantization table of the I-frames in car surveillance videos and embeds watermarks in the I-frames. Experimental verification was done to confirm the authentication and tamper detection of the proposed watermark image method for in-vehicle video.

scholarly journals Open-Source Thermometer, Temperature Controller, and Light Meter for Use in Animal Facilities and During Experiments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey Andreev ◽  
Pavee Vasnarungruengkul ◽  
Daniel A Wagenaar ◽  
David A Prober
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Light Sheet ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Software Skills

Experiments with biological samples require precise control of environmental conditions. In our work we use zebrafish (Danio rerio) to understand the neurobiology of sleep, which requires precise control of temperature and lighting. Like many labs, lighting and temperature in the animal facility are centrally controlled in the building. During behavioral experiments and microscopy sessions, we use custom-built heating systems and perform occasional manual checks of conditions. However, without a system to precisely record conditions, gradual changes in temperature can go unnoticed for a long time, and temporary failures may be missed entirely. Here we present the design and characterization of affordable open-source tools to record temperature and light conditions during animal experiments using an Arduino microcontroller or a Raspberry Pi compact computer. The waterproof temperature sensor has high stability over 50 days of recording and is precise to 0.1°C. The Arduino device can be used through a common serial port interface for which we present code in Python and MATLAB. The Raspberry Pi version can be accessed through a web interface, for which we provide an installation guide. We use the device to record and review temperature and lighting conditions in two zebrafish animal facilities. We use our platform to add a water heating system to maintain temperature at 28°C during in vivo light-sheet imaging of larval zebrafish. We show that a change in temperature from 28°C to 32°C affects resting heart rate of the animal, highlighting the importance of maintaining and recording conditions. The protocols presented here do not require advanced engineering, fabrication, or software skills, and provide an approach to accurately record and report experimental conditions.

scholarly journals Establishment of open-source semi-automated behavioral analysis system and quantification of the difference of sexual motivation between laboratory and wild strains

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soma Tomihara ◽  
Yoshitaka Oka ◽  
Shinji Kanda
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Sexual Motivation ◽  
Behavioral Analysis ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Human Errors ◽  
Biological Studies ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
Operational Errors

AbstractBehavioral analysis plays an important role in wide variety of biological studies, but behavioral recordings often tend to be laborious and are associated with inevitable human-errors. It also takes much time to perform manual behavioral analyses while replaying the videos. On the other hand, presently available automated recording/analysis systems are often specialized for certain types of behavior of specific animals. Here, we established an open-source behavioral recording system using Raspberry Pi, which automatically performs video-recording and systematic file-sorting, and the behavioral recording can be performed more efficiently, without unintentional human operational errors. We also developed an Excel macro that enables us to easily perform behavioral annotation with simple manipulation. Thus, we succeeded in developing an analysis suite that mitigates human tasks and thus reduces human errors. By using this suite, we analyzed the sexual behavior of a laboratory and a wild medaka strain and found a difference in sexual motivation presumably resulting from domestication.

scholarly journals Recoverable autonomous sonde for subglacial lake exploration: electronic control system design

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Shilin Peng ◽  
Xiao Jiang ◽  
Yongzhen Tang ◽  
Chong Li ◽  
Xiaodong Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
System Design ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Control System Design ◽  
Electronic Control ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Water Conductivity ◽  
Camera System ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Electronic Control System

Abstract Subglacial lake exploration is of great interest to the science community. RECoverable Autonomous Sonde (RECAS) provides an exploration tool to measure and sample subglacial lake environments while the subglacial lake remains isolated from the glacier surface and atmosphere. This paper presents an electronic control system design of 200 m prototype of RECAS. The proposed electronic control system consists of a surface system, a downhole control system, and a power transfer and communication system. The downhole control system is the core element of RECAS, and is responsible for sonde status monitoring, sonde motion control, subglacial water sampling and in situ analysis. A custom RS485 temperature sensor was developed to cater for the limited size and depth requirements of the system. We adopted a humidity-based measurement to monitor for a housing leak. This condition is because standard leak detection monitoring of water conductivity may be inapplicable to pure ice in Antarctica. A water sampler control board was designed to control the samplers and monitor the on/off state. A high-definition camera system with built-in storage and self-heating ability was designed to perform the video recording in the subglacial lake. The proposed electronic control system is proven effective after a series of tests.

scholarly journals Monitoring System for Tracking a PV Generator in an Experimental Smart Microgrid: An Open-Source Solution

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8182
Author(s):  
José María Portalo ◽  
Isaías González ◽  
Antonio José Calderón
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Smart Grids ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Operator Interface ◽  
Open Source Hardware ◽  
Real Time Information ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Time Information ◽  
Pv Generator

Smart grids and smart microgrids (SMGs) require proper monitoring for their operation. To this end, measuring, data acquisition, and storage, as well as remote online visualization of real-time information, must be performed using suitable equipment. An experimental SMG is being deployed that combines photovoltaics and the energy carrier hydrogen through the interconnection of photovoltaic panels, electrolyser, fuel cell, and load around a voltage bus powered by a lithium battery. This paper presents a monitoring system based on open-source hardware and software for tracking the temperature of the photovoltaic generator in such an SMG. In fact, the increases in temperature in PV modules lead to a decrease in their efficiency, so this parameter needs to be measured in order to monitor and evaluate the operation. Specifically, the developed monitoring system consists of a network of digital temperature sensors connected to an Arduino microcontroller, which feeds the acquired data to a Raspberry Pi microcomputer. The latter is accessed by a cloud-enabled user/operator interface implemented in Grafana. The monitoring system is expounded and experimental results are reported to validate the proposal.

scholarly journals Ongoing processes of managing consent: the empirical ethics of using video-recording in clinical practice and research

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle O'Reilly ◽  
Nicola Parker ◽  
Ian Hutchby
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Empirical Ethics ◽  
Video Data ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Reflecting Team ◽  
Recording Equipment ◽  
Health Care Practice ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Sensitive Topics

Using video to facilitate data collection has become increasingly common in health research. Using video in research, however, does raise additional ethical concerns. In this paper we utilize family therapy data to provide empirical evidence of how recording equipment is treated. We show that families made a distinction between what was observed through the video by the reflecting team and what was being recorded onto videotape. We show that all parties actively negotiated what should and should not go ‘on the record’, with particular attention to sensitive topics and the responsibility of the therapist. Our findings have important implications for both clinical professionals and researchers using video data. We maintain that informed consent should be an ongoing process and with this in mind we present some arguments pertaining to the current debates in this field of health-care practice.

Social Status in an Open-Source Community

2005 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Software Developers ◽  
Status Mobility ◽  
The Status

Despite a fair amount of conjecture regarding the circumstances that lead to the generation of status orders, most of the previous literature in this area typically has studied the effects of social cues within a laboratory setting. This article analyzes the evolution of the status hierarchy within a large-scale, natural setting. The results of empirical analyses assessing a large online community of software developers show that in the process of status attainment, community members tend to evaluate a focal actor's reputation according to publicly available social references. Ironically, these same social references also work to constrain an actor's status mobility.

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