HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study
The Houbara bustard, an avian species of conservation concern, poses significant challenges to researchers because of its elusive nature and sensitivity to human disturbances. Traditional research methods, often reliant on human observations, face some challenges and can inadvertently affect bird be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecological Informatics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124004813 |
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| author | Lyes Saad Saoud Loïc Lesobre Enrico Sorato Saud Al Qaydi Yves Hingrat Lakmal Seneviratne Irfan Hussain |
| author_facet | Lyes Saad Saoud Loïc Lesobre Enrico Sorato Saud Al Qaydi Yves Hingrat Lakmal Seneviratne Irfan Hussain |
| author_sort | Lyes Saad Saoud |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Houbara bustard, an avian species of conservation concern, poses significant challenges to researchers because of its elusive nature and sensitivity to human disturbances. Traditional research methods, often reliant on human observations, face some challenges and can inadvertently affect bird behavior. To overcome these limitations, we propose the HuBot, a biomimetic mobile robot designed to seamlessly integrate into the natural habitat of Houbara. By employing advanced real-time deep-learning algorithms, including YOLOv9 for detection, MobileSAM for segmentation, and vision transformer (ViT) for depth estimation, HuBot semi-autonomously tracks individual birds, providing unprecedented insights into their individual behavior, social interactions, and habitat use. HuBot can thus contribute to a deeper understanding of Houbara behavior and its ecology. The biomimetic design of the robot, including its life-like appearance and movement capabilities, minimizes disturbance, allowing for monitoring of Houbara birds while minimizing disruption to their behavior. Rigorous testing, including extensive laboratory experiments and field trials on challenging terrains, validated the performance of HuBot as a complementary tool for traditional observation methods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1403b1e9275a4d989d1c558a25e969f7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1574-9541 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Informatics |
| spelling | doaj-art-1403b1e9275a4d989d1c558a25e969f72025-01-19T06:24:36ZengElsevierEcological Informatics1574-95412025-03-0185102939HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior studyLyes Saad Saoud0Loïc Lesobre1Enrico Sorato2Saud Al Qaydi3Yves Hingrat4Lakmal Seneviratne5Irfan Hussain6Khalifa University Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KUCARS), Khalifa University, United Arab EmiratesRENECO International wildlife consultants LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesRENECO International wildlife consultants LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesInternational Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), United Arab EmiratesRENECO International wildlife consultants LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesKhalifa University Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KUCARS), Khalifa University, United Arab EmiratesKhalifa University Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KUCARS), Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates; Corresponding author.The Houbara bustard, an avian species of conservation concern, poses significant challenges to researchers because of its elusive nature and sensitivity to human disturbances. Traditional research methods, often reliant on human observations, face some challenges and can inadvertently affect bird behavior. To overcome these limitations, we propose the HuBot, a biomimetic mobile robot designed to seamlessly integrate into the natural habitat of Houbara. By employing advanced real-time deep-learning algorithms, including YOLOv9 for detection, MobileSAM for segmentation, and vision transformer (ViT) for depth estimation, HuBot semi-autonomously tracks individual birds, providing unprecedented insights into their individual behavior, social interactions, and habitat use. HuBot can thus contribute to a deeper understanding of Houbara behavior and its ecology. The biomimetic design of the robot, including its life-like appearance and movement capabilities, minimizes disturbance, allowing for monitoring of Houbara birds while minimizing disruption to their behavior. Rigorous testing, including extensive laboratory experiments and field trials on challenging terrains, validated the performance of HuBot as a complementary tool for traditional observation methods.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124004813Real-time deep learningAnimal-inspired robotsAnimal–robot interactionArtificial intelligenceEcological observationLocomotion |
| spellingShingle | Lyes Saad Saoud Loïc Lesobre Enrico Sorato Saud Al Qaydi Yves Hingrat Lakmal Seneviratne Irfan Hussain HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study Ecological Informatics Real-time deep learning Animal-inspired robots Animal–robot interaction Artificial intelligence Ecological observation Locomotion |
| title | HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study |
| title_full | HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study |
| title_fullStr | HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study |
| title_full_unstemmed | HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study |
| title_short | HuBot: A biomimicking mobile robot for non-disruptive bird behavior study |
| title_sort | hubot a biomimicking mobile robot for non disruptive bird behavior study |
| topic | Real-time deep learning Animal-inspired robots Animal–robot interaction Artificial intelligence Ecological observation Locomotion |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124004813 |
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