A low-cost, do-it-yourself data-logging system to record animal activity in laboratory and small-enclosure experiments

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
P. G. Story ◽  
B. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Configuration Software ◽  
Data Logging ◽  
Monitoring Equipment ◽  
Animal Activity ◽  
Experimental Parameters ◽  
Hardware Configuration ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Sd Card ◽  
Research Equipment

With the increasing cost of prepackaged research equipment and restrictions on research budgets, there is a growing need for inexpensive solutions for data collection in laboratory and small enclosures across a range of research topics investigating responses of animals to experimental parameters. We present here a low-cost, modular passive infrared sensor and data-logging system for use in experiments evaluating animal activity and behaviour, easily assembled in a laboratory setting. This system comprises accessible kit-based components purchased from popular electronics suppliers. We present the hardware configuration, software coding, build of materials, circuit diagram and a sample dataset demonstrating that the system collects reliable data that is easily downloaded either through any terminal program, directly from the unit or via an SD card. It is hoped that this ‘freeware’ approach to activity-monitoring equipment will enable laboratory and enclosure-based research to be undertaken more cost-effectively.

scholarly journals Low-Cost and Secure Communication System for SCADA System of Remote Microgrids

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amjad Iqbal ◽  
M. Tariq Iqbal
Keyword(s):  
Data Storage ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Secure Communication ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Data Logging ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Authentication Code ◽  
Power Efficient ◽  
Scada System ◽  
Sd Card

Renewable energy-based local microgrids are gaining popularity despite the unavailability of low-cost, power efficient, and secure communication system for its supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. This research has been carried out to address this issue along with the additional features such as data uploading to a server through a gateway, local data logging, and alerting the concerned crew in case of any fault to minimize the outage time. This paper presents the design of a communication system for the SCADA system of microgrid. ESP32 with LoRa has been used for communication between two nodes or a node and central SCADA unit. Communication security has been achieved by implementing AES cryptography. Data authenticity has been achieved by introducing a unique message authentication code (MAC) for each message. A mesh-like network has been implemented to improve the LoRa range. ESP32 and dragino-uno based LoRa gateways have been tried for uploading the data to the server, and local data storage has been achieved using an SD card. The main controller working as the SCADA unit has the feature of sending emails. Detailed system design and test results are presented in this paper.

scholarly journals Automated Research in Comparative Psychology: Limitations and New Directions

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Varnon ◽  
Harley Lang ◽  
Charles I. Abramson
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Comparative Psychology ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Experimental Parameters ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Commercial Research ◽  
Research Equipment ◽  
Commercial Equipment

Behavioral research is often enhanced by automated techniques, where experimental parameters and detection of behavior are controlled by electromechanical systems. Automated research promotes refinements in measurement, greater experimental control, longer durations of data collection, reduction of observer fatigue, and may permit new types of research to be conducted. In comparative psychology, use of automated techniques are often restricted to popular model organisms of fields such as behavior analysis and behavioral neuroscience. One factor contributing to this species-restriction may be the availability of automated research equipment, as most commercial research equipment is designed for rodents, and many researchers lack the skills required to create their own automated equipment. However, there are alternatives to commercial equipment, as some behavioral scientists have made available their own species-flexible, low-cost research equipment. In this paper, we provide three reviews. We first review recent trends in automated comparative psychology research, and then relate this to a second review on currently available automated research equipment. We also review affordable alternatives to commercial equipment that have been designed by behavioral scientists. Finally, we discuss useful technological skills that may allow comparative psychologists to take automation into their own hands and design equipment specific to their species and research topic.

scholarly journals Air Quality Evaluation with a Low-cost Dust Sensor for a Hencoop

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Beyaz
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Intensity Measurement ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Data Logging ◽  
Air Stream ◽  
Environmental Component ◽  
Sd Card ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

A hygenic working environment is essential for human health. It includes environmental conditions like light, air flow, gasses, sound, and rubble. It became more important for agricultural indoor and outdoor applications. For example; the dust intensity in a hencoop sometimes negatively affects human and animal health as an environmental component. On account of this ground, dust concentration measurement is crucial for agricultural indoor and outdoor applications. Because of this reason, the intensity of dust have been evaluated and analyzed in this research. For this purpose, a microcontroller based dust intensity measurement unit was developed. The dust intensity measurement unit contains an Arduino based development board and Sharp dust sensor. Additionally, an SD card module and a Real-Time Clock (RTC) was utilized for a data logging operation. The addition of air stream, air filtering technique and dust removing machines can be qualified regarding the dust intensity or dust balance

scholarly journals A Framework for a New Approach to Empower Users Through Low-Cost and Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3039
Author(s):  
Thais Pousada García ◽  
Jessica Garabal-Barbeira ◽  
Patricia Porto Trillo ◽  
Olalla Vilar Figueira ◽  
Cristina Novo Díaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Principles Of Design

Background: Assistive Technology (AT) refers to “assistive products and related systems and services developed for people to maintain or improve functioning and thereby to promote well-being”. Improving the process of design and creation of assistive products is an important step towards strengthening AT provision. Purpose: (1) to present a framework for designing and creating Low-Cost AT; (2) to display the preliminary results and evidence derived from applying the framework. Methodology: First, an evidence-based process was applied to develop and conceptualize the framework. Then, a pilot project to validate the framework was carried out. The sample was formed by 11 people with disabilities. The measure instruments were specific questionnaire, several forms of the Matching Person-Technology model, the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Device Scale, and a tool to assess the usability and universal design of AT. Results: The framework integrates three phases: Identification (Design), Creation (Making the prototype), and Implementation (Outcome Measures), based on the principles of Design Thinking, and with a user-centered perspective. The preliminary results showed the coherence of the entire process and its applicability. The matching between person and device was high, representing the importance of involving the user in the design and selection of AT. Conclusions: The framework is a guide for professionals and users to apply a Low-Cost and Do-It-Yourself perspective to the provision of AT. It highlights the importance of monitoring the entire procedure and measuring the effects, by applying the outcome measures.

Study on Coal Mine Gas Monitoring System Based on Arduino

2014 ◽  
Vol 1073-1076 ◽  
pp. 2173-2176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Chun Gao ◽  
Chao Jun Fan ◽  
Jun Wen Li ◽  
Ming Kun Luo
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Coal Mine ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Gas Monitoring ◽  
Underground Coal Mine ◽  
Gas Concentration ◽  
Coal Mine Gas ◽  
Good Market ◽  
Mine Gas ◽  
Sd Card

Aimed at the frequency gas accident of coal mine, we designed a coal mine gas monitoring system based on Arduino microcontroller. The MQ-4 gas sensor was used to collect gas concentration, wireless ZigBee was used to transfer data of gas concentration to PC. The system can display gas concentration real-timely by LCD and use SD card to store the data. The system will send out sound and light alarm when the gas concentration overruns. Industrial tests have been carried out in Wuyang coal mine. Results show that gas monitoring system can well adapt to environment of underground coal mine and the measurement is accurate. The system is real-time monitoring and early warning. It has the characteristics of low power consumption, low cost, wireless, good market prospect.

scholarly journals Mask R-CNN Based C. Elegans Detection with a DIY Microscope

Biosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Sebastian Fudickar ◽  
Eike Jannik Nustede ◽  
Eike Dreyer ◽  
Julia Bornhorst
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Image Acquisition ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Do It Yourself

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an important model organism for studying molecular genetics, developmental biology, neuroscience, and cell biology. Advantages of the model organism include its rapid development and aging, easy cultivation, and genetic tractability. C. elegans has been proven to be a well-suited model to study toxicity with identified toxic compounds closely matching those observed in mammals. For phenotypic screening, especially the worm number and the locomotion are of central importance. Traditional methods such as human counting or analyzing high-resolution microscope images are time-consuming and rather low throughput. The article explores the feasibility of low-cost, low-resolution do-it-yourself microscopes for image acquisition and automated evaluation by deep learning methods to reduce cost and allow high-throughput screening strategies. An image acquisition system is proposed within these constraints and used to create a large data-set of whole Petri dishes containing C. elegans. By utilizing the object detection framework Mask R-CNN, the nematodes are located, classified, and their contours predicted. The system has a precision of 0.96 and a recall of 0.956, resulting in an F1-Score of 0.958. Considering only correctly located C. elegans with an [email protected] IoU, the system achieved an average precision of 0.902 and a corresponding F1 Score of 0.906.

Development of Bioimpedance Sensors and Measurement System for Biomedical In-Vitro Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 496-499
Author(s):  
Stadler B. Eng. Sebastian ◽  
Herbert Plischke ◽  
Christian Hanshans
Keyword(s):  
Measurement System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Impedance Measurement ◽  
Microtiter Plate ◽  
Label Free ◽  
Single Chip ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Store And Forward

Abstract Bioimpedance analysis is a label-free and easy approach to obtain information on cellular barrier integrity and cell viability more broadly. In this work, we introduce a small, low-cost, portable in vitro impedance measurement system for studies where a shadow-free exposure of the cells is a requirement. It can be controlled by a user-friendly web interface and can perform measurements automated and autonomously at short intervals. The system can be integrated into an existing IoT network for remote monitoring and indepth analyses. A single-board computer (SBC) serves as the central unit, to control, analyze, store and forward the measurement data from the single-chip impedance analyzer. Various materials and manufacturing methods were used to produce a purpose-built lid on top of a modified 24-well microtiter plate in a “do it yourself” fashion. Furthermore, three different sensor designs were developed utilizing anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes and gold-plated electrodes. Preliminary tests with potassium chloride (KCl) showed first promising results.

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