Nature education for city children became difficult after much of the natural environment was destroyed during urbanization. Although audio-visual aids and multimedia teachware can precisely describe the detailed structure of a complex ecosystem in a classroom, they cannot provide an experience of the natural environment.
Using pre-recorded animal calls, this system produces bioacoustical feedback, a reaction from the target wildlife, and thereby a telepresence of wildlife in an urban location remote from the actual location of the wildlife. This study describes the design and evaluation of a bioacoustical interaction system using a networked, remote sensing, embedded system.
The system, with a combination of a tracking collar, microphone, speaker, infrared camera, infrared heat sensor, micro-climate sensor, radio-tracking, GPS, radio clock, embedded Linux boards, high capacity battery and high speed wireless communication device, successfully established a wildlife (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis, Critically Endangered Species) – computer interaction through a unique bioacoustical interaction.
(Advisor: Jun Matsushima)
Selected Research for Full-exemption from repayment upon graduation for graduate school students with outstanding results (2007, Jasso, Japan）
Supported by University of Ryukyus, Amazon Future Association, NTT-DoCoMo Inc., Tamagawa Seiki Co. Ltd. and Mikasa Engineering. Ltd