MoBioS - Modular Biodiversity Sensing Project

For applied users like farmers and public health officials, the real-time monitoring of insect phenology enables prompt interventions, crucial for conservation efforts and pest management. For example, the MoBioS system could allow for rapid detection of midge outbreaks, and aid in the reduction of bluetongue disease transmission. In addition, MoBioS will offer researchers an inexpensive, low-barrier-to-entry tool for answering questions regarding biodiversity.

Ultimately, the researchers seek to develop a platform that is highly modifiable and extensible so that end users can monitor a wide range of species across large spatial scales at a cost far below that of current technology.

Through the use of off-the-shelf environmental sensors, computer vision algorithms, and edge-computing hardware, MoBioS is developing a modular system that can be adapted by end users to meet the many needs of biodiversity and insect tracking research.The hardware will utilise off-the-shelf components and open-source 3D-printable files so that anyone can build their own device.The software will use an entirely open-source community-supported codebase.

Progress (April 2024)

The MoBioS Project is currently developing a prototype to monitor the presence of malarial mosquito species in Tanzania.

In the future, the researchers hope to build a network of these sensor platforms for high-resolution spatial data on biodiversity throughout the Netherlands.