Compound-V formations in shorebird flocks

Corcoran, Aaron J.; Hedrick, Tyson L.

doi:10.7554/elife.45071

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…We demonstrate this workflow for generating 3-D calibrations at wind turbines, where it would be logistically challenging to put calibration objects in the airspace (Figure 4). Another approach would be to use the animals themselves as background points (Corcoran & Hedrick, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Audio synchronization of cameras does not allow for shutter synchronization, therefore there will be a time offset of up to half the frame rate even after synchronization. Recording at 30 Hz, a half-frame synchronization accuracy has been sufficient to achieve highly accurate calibrations for animals moving at low to moderate pixel speeds (Corcoran & Hedrick, 2019). Audio synchronization may also require fine-tuning since some camera models may not keep the audio and video outputs in perfect alignment.…”

Section: Workflow For 2-d and 3-d Trackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another approach would be to use the animals themselves as background points (Corcoran & Hedrick, 2019).…”

Section: Requirements and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This allows one to set the scale of the scene using the wand length or pattern scale and to estimate the accuracy of the calibration based on the variation of reconstructed wand lengths. However, researchers are increasingly interested in studying animals within large volumes in the natural environment where it is difficult to deploy calibration objects or where doing so might disturb the animals under study (Evangelista, Ray, Raja, & Hedrick, 2017; Corcoran & Hedrick, 2019). In addition, much of the currently available 3-D tracking software requires manual digitization of objects in the videos, which limits the amount of data that can be processed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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ThruTracker: Open-Source Software for 2-D and 3-D Animal Video Tracking

Black³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Tracking animal movement patterns using videography is an important tool in many biological disciplines ranging from biomechanics to conservation. Reduced costs of technology such as thermal videography and unmanned aerial vehicles has made video-based animal tracking more accessible, however existing software for processing acquired video limits the application of these methods. Here, we present a novel software program for high-throughput 2-D and 3-D animal tracking. ThruTracker provides tools to allow video tracking under a variety of conditions with minimal technical expertise or coding background and without the need for paid licenses. Notable capabilities include calibrating the intrinsic properties of thermal cameras; tracking and counting hundreds of animals at a time; and the ability to make 3-D calibrations without dedicated calibration objects. Automated 2-D and 3-D workflows are integrated to allow for analysis of largescale datasets. We tested ThruTracker with two case studies. The 2-D workflow is demonstrated by counting bats emerging from bridges and caves using thermal Videography. Tests show that ThruTracker has a similar accuracy compared to humans under a variety of conditions. The 3-D workflow is shown for making accurate calibrations for tracking bats and birds at wind turbines using only the wind turbine itself as a calibration object. ThruTracker is a robust software program for tracking moving animals in 2-D and 3-D. Major applications include counting animals such as bats, birds, and fish that form large aggregations, and documenting movement trajectories over medium spatial scales (~100,000 m3). When combined with emerging technologies, we expect videographic techniques to continue to see widespread adoption for an increasing range of biological applications.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Workflow For 2-d and 3-d Trackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another approach would be to use the animals themselves as background points (Corcoran & Hedrick, 2019).…”

Section: Requirements and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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ThruTracker: Open-Source Software for 2-D and 3-D Animal Video Tracking

Black³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…These cooperative movements together and apart unfolded through synchronous actions (Gerum et al, 2013;Waters et al, 2012;Zitterbart et al, 2011) that minimized the heat loss of huddling groups and their members (Ancel et al, 1997;Gilbert et al, 2008). Research involving schooling fish (Hemelrijk et al, 2014) and flocking birds (Corcoran & Hedrick, 2019) suggests that these coordinated behaviours serve the same resource function as huddling in penguins. Here, hydrodynamic and aerodynamic efficiencies enable schooling fish and flocking birds to reduce individual-level energy consumption during collective motion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Collective Mind: An Experimental Analysis of Imitation and Self‑organization in Humans

Olarewaju¹

2022

Preprint

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I present an experimental paradigm to explore the interpersonal dynamics generating a collective mind. I hypothesized that collective organization is based on dual interpersonal modes: (1) symmetrical and (2) anti‑symmetrical. I specified the geometric topology of these modes by detecting the spatiotemporal patterns that embed cooperative agents in a three‑dimensional matrix. I found that the symmetrical mode is executed automatically and without guidance. Conversely, the anti‑symmetrical mode required explicit direction and recruited attention for execution. I demonstrate that self‑other mirror‑symmetry stabilized group dynamics, enabled fast and efficient symmetrical imitation that optimized information transmission, whereas anti‑symmetrical imitation was comparatively slow, inefficient, and unstable. I determined that the anti‑symmetrical mode spontaneously transitioned to the symmetrical mode under perturbations. Crucially, this renormalization mechanism never transitioned from symmetrical to anti‑symmetrical. These self-organizing dynamics speak to interpersonal symmetry‑breaking. In the present work, spontaneous group choice mandated that agents synchronize cooperative cycles in symmetrical space under internal or external perturbations. I provide examples to illustrate that this self-regulating pullback attractor manifests in invertebrates and vertebrates alike. I conclude by suggesting that inter‑agent symmetry provides the social stability manifold through which attention-driven interactions enable intrapersonal and interpersonal change.

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An automated approach for counting groups of flying animals applied to one of the world's largest bat colonies

et al. 2023

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Estimating animal populations is essential for conservation. Censusing large congregations is especially important since these are priorities for protection, but efficiently counting hundreds of thousands of moving animals remains a challenge. We developed a deep learning-based system using consumer cameras that not only counts but also records behavioral information for large numbers of flying animals in a range of lighting conditions including near darkness. We built a robust training set without human labeling by leveraging data augmentation and background subtraction. We demonstrate this approach by estimating the size of a straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) colony in Kasanka National Park, Zambia with cameras encircling the colony to record evening emergence. Detection of bats was robust to deteriorating lighting conditions and changing backgrounds. Combined over five days, our population estimates ranged between 750,000 and 976,000 bats with a mean of 857,233. In addition to counts, we extracted wingbeat frequency, flight altitude, and local group polarity for 639,414 individuals. This open access method is an inexpensive but powerful approach that, in addition to radial emergences from central locations, can also be applied to unidirectional movements of flying groups, such as migratory streams of birds.

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Compound-V formations in shorebird flocks

Cited by 23 publications

References 36 publications

ThruTracker: Open-Source Software for 2-D and 3-D Animal Video Tracking

ThruTracker: Open-Source Software for 2-D and 3-D Animal Video Tracking

The Collective Mind: An Experimental Analysis of Imitation and Self‑organization in Humans

An automated approach for counting groups of flying animals applied to one of the world's largest bat colonies

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