Autonomous Light Assessment Drone for Dark Skies Studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew N. Goodell ◽  
Takara E. Truong ◽  
Stephanie R. Marston ◽  
Brett J. Smiley ◽  
Elliot R. Befus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Remote Site ◽  
Improper Use ◽  
Initial Results

Abstract The improper use of artificial light causing skyglow is detrimental to many types of wildlife and can potentially cause irregular human sleeping patterns. Studies have been performed to analyze light pollution on a global scale. However, light pollution data on a local scale is not of ten available and the effects at local scale have rarely been studied. Herein, a new custom-designed autonomous light assessment drone (ALAD) is described for evaluating light pollution at local scale. The ALAD is designed and equipped with a sky quality meter (SQM) to measure skyglow and a low-cost illuminance sensor to measure light from artificial sources. Outdoor field tests are performed at a remote site in central Utah and the measured results are validated against data from lightpollution-map.info. The SQM measurements are in agreement with the estimates from the light pollution map, and the initial results demonstrate feasibility of the ALAD for local-scale skyglow assessment.

scholarly journals The GONet (Ground Observing Network) Camera: An Inexpensive Light Pollution Monitoring System

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
Ken Walczak ◽  
Grace Crim ◽  
Thane Gesite ◽  
Salome Habtemichael ◽  
Jack Morgan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Imaging System ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Initial Field ◽  
Network Camera ◽  
Initial Results ◽  
Potential Use

Instrumentation developed to monitor and characterize light pollution from the ground has helped frame our understanding of the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) [Bará, Lima, & Zamorano, 2019; Hänel et al., 2018; Zamorano et al., 2017]. All-sky imaging has been used to quantify and characterize ALAN in a variety of environments [D. M. Duriscoe, 2016; Jechow, Kyba, & Hölker, 2019]. Over the past decade growth in access to DIY electronics has afforded the opportunity for the development of new and affordable instrumentation for ALAN research. The GONet (Ground Observing Network) camera is an inexpensive (~USD 100), simple to use, all-sky imaging system designed to allow measurements of sky quality at night. Due to their ease of use and low price, GONet cameras allow observations by users with little technical expertise, large inter-comparison campaigns and deployments of opportunity. Developed as a student engineering project at the Adler Planetarium, initial field tests of the GONet system have demonstrated its utility as a tool that can benefit ALAN research. Here we present an overview of the design and use of the GONet device, methods of calibration, initial results from observations, potential use cases, and limitations of the system. What we describe here is the version 1 GONet camera. We conclude with a brief description of the version 2 unit already under development.

scholarly journals Using Simulation-Based Modeling to Evaluate Light Trespass in the Design Stage of Sports Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4725
Author(s):  
Kwang-Hoon Kim ◽  
Gon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Sports Facilities ◽  
High Luminance ◽  
Planning Stage ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Improper Use

Artificial light is a pollutant with broad implications for society. Consequently, laws and regulations aimed at curbing the improper use of artificial lighting (i.e., light pollution) are becoming common. For such laws to become effective, light pollution must first be evaluated and quantified. Current methods for evaluating lit environments in sports facilities are only applicable after the facilities have been built, making it challenging to prevent light pollution preemptively. Here, a technique to predict light pollution during the planning stage is proposed. To analyze the upward light generated by the large lights found in sports facilities using a computer simulation, a method of defining a virtual horizontal board above the stadium is proposed. To analyze how light trespasses out of the stadium, a method of dividing and analyzing the space outside the stadium by zone is also presented. In addition, a method to predict the formation of high luminance surfaces under outdoor lighting is presented. The proposed methods are validated on two large sports facilities currently being constructed in Korea. As a consequence, horizontal and vertical illuminances are reduced by 74.5% and 72.2%, respectively. The methods are useful to lighting designers with interest in reducing light pollution.

scholarly journals Engineering and characterization of gymnosperm sapwood toward enabling the design of water filtration devices

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krithika Ramchander ◽  
Megha Hegde ◽  
Anish Paul Antony ◽  
Luda Wang ◽  
Kendra Leith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Water Filter ◽  
Synthetic Test ◽  
Xylem Tissue ◽  
Filtration Material

AbstractNaturally-occurring membranes in the xylem tissue of gymnosperm sapwood enable its use as an abundantly-available material to construct filters, with potential to facilitate access to safe drinking water in resource-constrained settings. However, the material’s behavior as a filter is poorly understood, and challenges such as short shelf life have not been addressed. Here, we characterize the operational attributes of xylem filters and show that the material exhibits a highly non-linear dependence of flow resistance on thickness upon drying, and a tendency for self-blocking. We develop guidelines for the design and fabrication of xylem filters, demonstrate gravity-operated filters with shelf life >2 years, and show that the filters can provide >3 log removal of E. coli, MS-2 phage, and rotavirus from synthetic test waters and coliform bacteria from contaminated spring, tap, and ground waters. Through interviews and workshops in India, we use a user-centric approach to design a prototype filtration device with daily- to weekly-replaceable xylem filters, and uncover indicators of social acceptance of xylem as a natural water filter. Our work enhances the understanding of xylem as a filtration material, and opens opportunities for engineering a diverse range of low-cost, biodegradable xylem-based filtration products on a global scale.

Comparison and verification of four field-based microbiological tests: H2S test, Easygel®, Colilert®, Petrifilm™

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patty Chuang ◽  
Stephanie Trottier ◽  
Susan Murcott
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Standard Method ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Single Test ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Microbiological Test ◽  
Technical Capacity ◽  
Larger Sample

The UN defines water supplies as ‘improved’ or ‘unimproved.’ These indicators are easy to measure, but do not reflect water quality, which requires laboratory or field tests. Laboratory and test availability, expense and technical capacity are obstacles for developing countries. This research compares and verifies four low-cost, field-based microbiological tests: the EC-Kit (Colilert® and Petrifilm™ tests), the H2S bacteria test, and Easygel®, against a standard method (Quanti-Tray®). The objectives are to: (1) verify the accuracy of the four field-based tests, (2) study the accuracy of these tests as a function of improved and unimproved sources; (3) recommend a single microbiological test, if appropriate, based on accuracy and cost, and/or (4) recommend a testing combination, if appropriate, based on accuracy and cost. The tests of 500+ total water samples from Capiz Province, Philippines and Cambridge, MA indicate that two-tests systems gave better results than a single test. Both the 100-mL H2S test + Petrifilm™ and the 20-mL H2S test + Easygel® combinations yield promising results, in addition to being inexpensive. None of the field-based tests should be used on their own. We recommend further verification of a larger sample size and scale be undertaken before these testing combinations are recommended for wider use.

Improving quality of life for dialysis patients through telecare

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 80-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl A Stroetmann ◽  
Peter Gruetzmacher ◽  
Veli N Stroetmann
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Video Communication ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Dialysis Patients ◽  
Home Dialysis ◽  
Service Support ◽  
Initial Results ◽  
Selection Of

Home dialysis can improve the care and quality of life for patients with renal failure. We have explored the possibility of extending home care to more patients needing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) using telemedicine. We tested videoconferencing support for five CAPD patients using low-cost ISDN equipment (128 kbit/s). Initial results indicated that it was possible to integrate video-communication into the daily routine of the clinic and the response from patients was surprisingly positive. Selection of appropriate, affordable technology and the ISDN service support by the telecommunications provider proved to be considerably more difficult than anticipated. The first indications also suggest medical advantages for home teledialysis.

scholarly journals Global‐ and Local‐Scale High‐Resolution Event Catalogs for Algorithm Testing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Linville ◽  
Ronald Chip Brogan ◽  
Christopher Young ◽  
Katherine Anderson Aur
Keyword(s):  
Global Scale ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Algorithm Performance ◽  
Directional Information ◽  
Event Sequences ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
International Monitoring ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The University ◽  
Global And Local

ABSTRACT During the development of new seismic data processing methods, the verification of potential events and associated signals can present a nontrivial obstacle to the assessment of algorithm performance, especially as detection thresholds are lowered, resulting in the inclusion of significantly more anthropogenic signals. Here, we present two 14 day seismic event catalogs, a local‐scale catalog developed using data from the University of Utah Seismograph Stations network, and a global‐scale catalog developed using data from the International Monitoring System. Each catalog was built manually to comprehensively identify events from all sources that were locatable using phase arrival timing and directional information from seismic network stations, resulting in significant increases compared to existing catalogs. The new catalogs additionally contain challenging event sequences (prolific aftershocks and small events at the detection and location threshold) and novel event types and sources (e.g., infrasound only events and long‐wall mining events) that make them useful for algorithm testing and development, as well as valuable for the unique tectonic and anthropogenic event sequences they contain.

Networks of Photos, Landmarks, and People

Leonardo ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Crandall ◽  
Noah Snavely
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Photo Sharing ◽  
The World ◽  
Vantage Points ◽  
Combining Information

Social photo-sharing sites like Flickr contain vast amounts of latent information about the world and human behavior. The authors describe their recent work in building automatic algorithms that analyze large collections of imagery in order to extract some of this information. At a global scale, geo-tagged photographs can be used to identify the most photographed places on Earth, as well as to infer the names and visual representations of these places. At a local scale, the authors build detailed 3D models of a scene by combining information from thousands of 2D photographs taken by different people and from different vantage points.

scholarly journals Low Cost Instrumentation for Electrical Impedance Tomography in Biomedical Applications

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart Smith ◽  
Hancong Wu ◽  
Jiabin Jia
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Impedance Tomography ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Electrical Impedance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Impedance Measurement ◽  
Impedance Tomography ◽  
Impedance Measurements ◽  
Additional Circuitry ◽  
Initial Results

This poster reports the design, implementation and testing of a portable and inexpensive bio-impedance measurement system intended for electrical impedance tomography (EIT) in cell cultures. The system is based on the AD5933 impedance analyser integrated circuit with additional circuitry to enable four-terminal measurement. Initial results of impedance measurements are reported along with an EIT image reconstructed using the open source EIDORS package.

scholarly journals The Effects of Anthropogenic Sound and Artificial Light Exposure on Microbiomes: Ecological and Public Health Implications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake M Robinson ◽  
Ross Cameron ◽  
Brenda Parker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Critical Appraisal ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Health Implications

Globally, anthropogenic sound and artificial light pollution have increased to alarming levels. Evidence suggests that these can disrupt critical processes that impact ecosystems and human health. However, limited focus has been given to the potential effects of sound and artificial light pollution on microbiomes. Microbial communities are the foundations of our ecosystems. They are essential for human health and provide myriad ecosystem services. Therefore, disruption to microbiomes by anthropogenic sound and artificial light could have important ecological and human health implications. In this mini-review, we provide a critical appraisal of available scientific literature on the effects of anthropogenic sound and light exposure on microorganisms and discuss the potential ecological and human health implications. Our mini-review shows that a limited number of studies have been carried out to investigate the effects of anthropogenic sound and light pollution on microbiomes. However, based on these studies, it is evident that anthropogenic sound and light pollution have the potential to significantly influence ecosystems and human health via microbial interactions. Many of the studies suffered from modest sample sizes, suboptimal experiments designs, and some of the bioinformatics approaches used are now outdated. These factors should be improved in future studies. This is an emerging and severely underexplored area of research that could have important implications for global ecosystems and public health. Finally, we also propose the photo-sonic restoration hypothesis: does restoring natural levels of light and sound help to restore microbiomes and ecosystem stability?

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Research Investigating the Combined Ecological Impact of Anthropogenic Noise and Artificial Light at Night

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter Halfwerk ◽  
Paul Jerem
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Anthropogenic Noise ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Light At Night ◽  
The Impact

Levels of anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN) are rapidly rising on a global scale. Both sensory pollutants are well known to affect animal behavior and physiology, which can lead to substantial ecological impacts. Most studies on noise or light pollution to date have focused on single stressor impacts, studying both pollutants in isolation despite their high spatial and temporal co-occurrence. However, few studies have addressed their combined impact, known as multisensory pollution, with the specific aim to assess whether the interaction between noise and light pollution leads to predictable, additive effects, or less predictable, synergistic or antagonistic effects. We carried out a systematic review of research investigating multisensory pollution and found 28 studies that simultaneously assessed the impact of anthropogenic noise and ALAN on animal function (e.g., behavior, morphology or life-history), physiology (e.g., stress, oxidative, or immune status), or population demography (e.g., abundance or species richness). Only fifteen of these studies specifically tested for possible interactive effects when both sensory pollutants were combined. Four out of eight experimental studies revealed a significant interaction effect, in contrast to only three out seven observational studies. We discuss the benefits and limitations of experimental vs. observational studies addressing multisensory pollution and call for more specific testing of the diverse ways in which noise and light pollution can interact to affect wildlife.

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