Visualisation of Animal Tracking
Data
James Walker
BCUR - 19.04.11
Introduction to
Data Visualisation
What is Data Visualisation?
• A tool that allows the user to gain insight into data.
e.g. a graph
• Visualisation used on a day to day basis – Weather,
maps... Etc.
• Data set sizes are ever-increasing making a
graphical approach necessary.
Data explosion!
Information Visualisation
•
Abstract Data
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Any data from a database!
Doesn’t exist in a spatial domain – Our
job to place it in space.
Visualisation of Animal
Tracking Data
Motivation
• Biologists at Swansea
University use animal
tracking devices
• Record real animal
movement
• Some animals are not
observable especially
underwater (even with
GPS!)
Device attached to a penguin
How does it work?
• Contain tri-axel accelerometers
• Accelerometer data can be
used to extract
▫ Orientation
▫ Movement vector
Its hard to extract these!!
• Contain a tri-axel compass –
Used for determining an
animals heading
A Daily Diary device
Devices contd...
• Contain sensors to determine
the locale environment. Such
as:
▫
▫
▫
▫
Temperature
Pressure
Light intensity
and More! Up to 13 sensors...
• Small – About the size of a
match box.
• Can record data for up to 4
days.
Benefits
• Indirectly observe animals
• Discover new animal behaviours (example)
• Gain more insight into animals – Energy expenditure
Whale Shark – Previously couldn’t be observed
Data Analysis
Data from a Bird displayed on time intensity plots:
• Wave patterns represent animal activity
• Typically 5 plots combined to determine a behaviour
• Showing approx 1,000 data items – Data set
consists of 800,000 items. 800 Slides to analyse
The Problem...
• Hard to combine several data attributes and
translate into an animal movement
• Relies on the skill on biologist to extract data
from plots – Need years of experience
• Error prone!
Data sets can contain over a million entries.
This is a massive challenge to biologists!
Large 2D time plots take a long time to analyse.
Potentially days!
Our Solution!
Project Aims
• Make data analysis less reliant on skill of
biologists.
▫ Intuitive visual metaphors for perceiving the data.
• Combine multiple attributes together into one
visualisation.
▫ More knowledge based experience.
• Enable pattern finding capabilities.
▫ Gain more knowledge from the data – Common animal
orientations.
• Quicker data analysis.
▫ Assisting biologists in identifying areas of interest.
Demo of Solution
Project Aims - Recap
• Make data analysis less reliant on skill of
biologists.
▫ Visual metaphors for perceiving the data.
• Combine multiple attributes together into one
visualisation.
▫ More knowledge based experience.
• Enable pattern finding capabilities.
▫ Gain more knowledge from the data – Common animal
orientations.
• Quicker data analysis.
▫ Assisting biologists in identifying areas of interest.
Future Work
Biologists are currently working on a virtual reality
software. Animal is mapped into Google Earth
Environment – Location can be inferred from compass data,
conditions can be set using environment sensors.
Conclusion
• This new technology is pushing the frontiers of
research into animal behaviour. New discoveries have
already been made (e.g. Whale Shark).
• Aims have been achieved to enabled a better and more
knowledgeable experience in data analysis.
• Important research area as indirectly observing
animals is a key problem in many animal research
areas.
• Firm belief that as Daily Diary devices get smaller and
more advanced they will becoming more prevalent.
Acknowledgements
Images:
1.
Rolex Awards/Jürgen Freund
URL: http://rolexawards.com/en/the-laureates/rorywilson-home.jsp
2. Conservation Magazine - Vol. 8, No. 1
URL: http://www.conservationmagazine.org/2008/07/wildlife-flight-recorder/
Research Papers:
1. Visualisation of Sensor Data from Animal Movement
Edward Grundy
2. Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial accelerometry
Emily Shepard
Supervisor:
1. Bob Laramee