Security. Off the left spot in Saint-Leu, the Shark Safety Center, in partnership with the Fetch Engineering design office, has launched a new type of experiment. 300 m offshore, the seabed has been scrutinized for a month by the InsituCam. An innovative tool for combating the shark risk that will have to prove itself.
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An instrumented buoy, a camera powered by three solar panels and a marine antenna for the transmission of the image stream to a server on land. Here are the different elements that make up this new tool, designed by the Shark Safety Center (CSR). The InsituCam takes part in the fight against the marine predator, but not only. The uses of this innovative technology can be plural. A waterproof case allows the high definition camera to be submerged up to 100 m underwater, off the coast of Reunion.
Until now, seabed observation cameras have not been able to obtain real-time information on the presence of sharks. The combined buoy-camera, developed by the CSR, allows this. A technical evolution made possible by the research and development of a shark detection algorithm, carried out by Boston University. The images are decoded instantly, the camera becoming a powerful detection tool.
Indeed, the swimming movements and the distinctive characters of the target animal are identified by the algorithm. A real-time alert is then sent, as well as a video link to view the scene that generated the notification. “For now, this is a test, but it works, explains Jean Gadenne, innovation manager at CSR. This new tool will not replace existing devices such as personal protective equipment or human surveillance. Above all, we want to complement the existing offer. During this experiment, we received a very warm welcome from Leu Tropical Surf (the sports club associated with this experiment). These underwater eyes are a real plus for their sports practice. Indeed, shark lookouts provide surface surveillance of the water point. The InsituCam complements this observation by analyzing the underwater images in real time.
For the CSR project, this technology is used with an HD camera. Thirty frames per second are broadcast live to a mobile phone or computer on land and broadcast on a dedicated YouTube channel. “I think this is a first in the Indian Ocean and perhaps even at the global level. All the images may also be of interest to researchers. We are working in this direction”, concludes Jean Gadenne.
Much more than a safety device, the InsituCam is a means of sustainable observation and understanding of the sea. The marine reserve is interested in this tool developed by the CSR, within the framework of the protection of marine biodiversity Reunion.
Aurelie Mirel
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