WILDLABS logoWildlabs.net : The conservation technology network

WILDLABS logoWildlabs.net : The conservation technology network

Group

Software Development / Feed

This group is for anyone interested in applying software to conservation and wildlife research. Whether you're a developer eager to contribute to conservation or a newbie with valuable data and ideas but limited software experience, this group connects people with diverse expertise. It provides a space for asking questions, sharing resources, and staying informed about new technologies and best practices.

Group curators

discussion

Can gaming help conservation? - Wildsense Tiger App

Stephanie O'Donnell

27 November 2015 11:01am

We asked twitter the question, 'can gaming help conservation?' and were delighted when Aaron Mase (University of Surrey) responded with an emphatic 'yes...

3 0
Aaron Mason

28 December 2015 7:09pm

Hi Steph,

Thanks for your message. I would be delighted to answer your question about Wildsense.

You are correct that our aim is to do a lot more than raise awareness and engange citizens with our Wildsense Tigers game.

We are using images from a range of image sharing websites that have been uploaded by people online and publicly shared. Each photograph contains valuable information that often includes the time and location that the photograph is taken. If we can understand when a photo was taken, where it was taken, and the individual animal in the photograph, then we can start to build up a picture of the movement of individuals. We are benefiting from people power from the users that are both indirectly uploading photographs online and also directly interacting with our Wildsense game. We are combining this with computing power with our data analysis, computer vision and machine learning software.

We are doing this experiment on a large scale and we believe that "the wisdom of the crowd" will enable us to gather and analyse enough information so that we can build an accurate picture. We started with wild tigers and our plan is to create a platform that can be used for other species as well. We are working on other animals already behind the scenes.

I hope that answers your question.

Best wishes,

Aaron Mason

Barbara de Waard

11 January 2016 1:29pm

Hi Aaron,

It's a great concept of using gaming for the benefit of conservation, but I do have one big question about Wildsense and tigers. Since poaching is one of the main threats to the 3,000 or so remaining wildl tigers, there are great risks involved with publicizing the location and timing of any tiger sightings.

Furthermore, this approach can probably only work for Bengal tigers, since other tiger species, such as Sumatran and Malayan, are very rarely sighted, even by the most dedicated conservationists ( or poachers), as their jungle habitat is so dense. For Bengal Tigers, there are already ventures for online monitoring and identificaton, such as Tigernation.org.

Good luck with your project. Barbara from BiodiversityBusiness.

 

Aaron Mason

11 January 2016 6:33pm

Hi Barbara,

You are right in that cyberpoaching is becoming an increasing risk. I have seen various cases where information posted on social media has provided too much information and then ended up in the wrong hands (e.g. http://www.army.mil/article/75165/Geotagging_poses_security_risks/).

We need to be careful about the accuracy of information that is disclosed. Providing an approximate time and location seems to be the most popular adopted approach. 

Hacking is another issue. For example, I have seen research demonstrating the potential to gain unauthrised access to GPS collar data.

 

Our main focus has been the Bengal Tiger but we want to see how much we can learn about other tigers as well. Our end goal is to support a range of animal species.

 

P.S. I am pleased that you are aware of http://www.tigernation.org - I co-founded it :)

See full post
article

Gaming for Good: Minecraft and Quiz Up

Peter Jacobs

3 December 2015 12:00am

Can games have real world impacts on issues like the illegal wildlife trade? In part two of his case study for the Gaming for Conservation Group, Peter Jacobs discusses United for Wildlife's efforts to engage young...

0
See full post
article

Gaming for Good: Runescape and Angry Birds

Peter Jacobs

25 November 2015 12:00am

Can games raise awareness of conservation issues like the illegal wildlife trade? In part one of his case study for the Gaming for Conservation Group, Peter Jacobs discusses how United for Wildlife is partnering with...

0
See full post
article

From Data Collection to Decisions

TimWilkinson

6 November 2015 12:00am

The speed at which data travels from the point of collection to a format which is understandable and useful for decision makers can be of critical importance. In this case study, Tim Wilkinson discusses a powerful suite...

0
See full post