Technology is the cornerstone of the Virtual Ecology project. We currently use a variety of types of technology to make our ideas come to life. We currently have a fleet of technology that includes software, 360⁰ cameras, Virtual Reality headset, wildlife cameras, drones, and audio recording equipment.
The new technology we recently received was funded through the WSU undergraduate student technology fee grant. In 2021, our team applied for the grant, and we won! Prior to the grant win, most of the technology used in the project was student-owned.
360⁰ Videos and Virtual Reality
As of August 2021, Aidan Aumell has captured monthly 360⁰ videos with his Go Pro Max for the past 12 months to illustrate seasonal change in Virtual Reality (VR) at Kamiak Bute, and across the landscape. He recorded monthly 360⁰ videos at two fixed locations on the North and South Aspect. Aidan Aumell currently plans to continue his monthly 360⁰ videos recordings at Kamiak Butte for a second year with a professional 360⁰ camera and 360⁰ microphone. The new professional 360⁰ camera, the Insta 360 Pro 2 has the capability of capturing 360⁰ videos in 3D with 8K resolution.
Students can view the 360⁰ videos on desktop computers, mobile devices, and Virtual Reality headsets on our YouTube channel or with the virtual field trip. The 360⁰ video provides students with a visualize of Kamiak Butte when they may not be able to visit the County Park themselves in person.
Virtual Field Trip
The virtual field trip was created with Adobe Captivate, the e-learning software, to create an interactive 360⁰ video tour of Kamiak Butte County Park. In the virtual field trip, students explore and learn about Kamiak Butte. The virtual field trip enables students to click on hotspots placed at points of interest throughout the tour to display imagery, videos, data, and information from Kamiak Butte. You can access the virtual field trip to Kamiak Butte through our website with a Desktop Computer or mobile device.
Wildlife Cameras
Wildlife cameras are placed at Kamiak Butte to record audio/video and images of wildlife populations seen throughout Kamiak Butte, as well as to provide how and when different species interact. Virtual Ecology team members are responsible for placing, collecting, and maintaining the wildlife cameras throughout the butte.
Our wildlife camera setup includes eight Campark Trail Cameras with wifi & storage, eight solar panel charging units, and python cable locks. The wildlife camera has the capability of capturing 20MP pictures,1296P resolution videos, and night vision content).
Drones
Aerial videos have been recorded by Daniel Auerbach, a doctoral student, with his own personal fleet of drones to increase understanding of Kamiak Butte’s Ecology with a bird’s eye view. These drone videos are interesting, engaging, and informative to the students in Natural Resource Ecology.
As of August 2021, Daniel Auerbach plans to record monthly drone videos to provide a better student understanding of how energy, moisture, temperature, and interspecies competition interacts on these sites from above.
Audio
As of August 2021, Mason Maron is recording high-quality audio from the natural environment at Kamiak Butte. Mason plans to record audio from the wildlife at Kamiak Butte, more specifically – bird songs. The audio from Kamiak Butte will help students better understand how the sounds change throughout the year depending on the season.
The field audio recording setup includes a Mono Parabolic Microphone, MixPre 2, Rode NTG2 Shotgun Condenser Mic, and studio headphones.
Photography
Photographic snapshots are taken at Kamiak Butte to capture imagery of wildlife, animal habitats, plants, rocks, fungus, trees, and more. The photos are incorporated into the Virtual Ecology experiences for everyone to capture referenced interactions. The imagery we collect aids in student’s visual understanding of Kamiak Butte’s Ecology and helps them identify species.
Many of the Virtual Ecology team members contribute to our photography collection. Our photos are captured with wildlife cameras and team member’s personally owned cameras.
