Search
  • Videos
  • Windows 10
  • 5G
  • Best VPNs
  • Cloud
  • Security
  • AI
  • more
    • TR Premium
    • Working from Home
    • Innovation
    • Best Web Hosting
    • ZDNet Recommends
    • Tonya Hall Show
    • Executive Guides
    • ZDNet Academy
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
  • Newsletters
  • All Writers
    • Preferences
    • Community
    • Newsletters
    • Log Out
  • Menu
    • Videos
    • Windows 10
    • 5G
    • Best VPNs
    • Cloud
    • Security
    • AI
    • TR Premium
    • Working from Home
    • Innovation
    • Best Web Hosting
    • ZDNet Recommends
    • Tonya Hall Show
    • Executive Guides
    • ZDNet Academy
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
      • Preferences
      • Community
      • Newsletters
      • Log Out
  • us
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • India
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • ZDNet around the globe:
    • ZDNet France
    • ZDNet Germany
    • ZDNet Korea
    • ZDNet Japan

Data collecting is for the birds

3 of 4 NEXT PREV
  • Bea holding bird

    Bea holding bird

    Beatriz da Costa, assistant professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, holds a homing pigeon use as part of her PigeonBlog exhibit going on this week at ZeroOne San Jose, a San Jose, Calif., festival held in conjunction with the annual International Symposium of Electronic Art. Pigeons in the project carry packs equipped with GPS-enabled electronic air quality sensing devices that send real-time air pollution and image data to an online map.

    Published: August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT)

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Backpacks

    Backpacks

    These birds are fully equipped with "backpacks" for their journey. The 37-gram packs contain GPS receivers, air pollution sensors and a digital camera. The pollution sensors detect a number of potentially harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. The pigeons send data and photographs to a blog that is updated in real time. The results are displayed on the blog in the form of an interactive map.

    Published: August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT)

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Closeup of devices

    Closeup of devices

    By using the homing pigeons as the "reporters" of current air pollution levels, project organizers hope to invoke urgency about a topic that has health consequences.

    Published: August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT)

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Bea with partners

    Bea with partners

    PigeonBlog founder Beatriz da Costa and her partners have been working with pigeons for the past year on a data-gathering initiative designed to collect information about air quality conditions and distribute it to the general public.

    Published: August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT)

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

3 of 4 NEXT PREV
Bill Detwiler

By Bill Detwiler | August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT) | Topic: Hardware

  • Bea holding bird
  • Backpacks
  • Closeup of devices
  • Bea with partners

Homing pigeons are given "backpacks" with GPS enabled devices as part of an alternative air pollution data-gathering experiment.

Read More Read Less

Closeup of devices

By using the homing pigeons as the "reporters" of current air pollution levels, project organizers hope to invoke urgency about a topic that has health consequences.

Published: August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT)

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

3 of 4 NEXT PREV

Related Topics:

PCs Servers Storage Networking Data Centers
Bill Detwiler

By Bill Detwiler | August 10, 2006 -- 04:45 GMT (21:45 PDT) | Topic: Hardware

Show Comments
LOG IN TO COMMENT
  • My Profile
  • Log Out
| Community Guidelines

Join Discussion

Add Your Comment
Add Your Comment

Related Galleries

  • 1 of 3
  • Defective '5,000,000mAh' power bank

    It arrived dead, but in a highly dangerous state and could have burst into flames at any moment.

  • Omnicharge Omni Ultimate

    Everything about the Omni Ultimate is designed around power and ruggedness.

  • '9 million mAh' power bank

    Spoiler: It's nowhere near 9,000,000mAh!

  • Powertraveller Sport 25

    A compact, ruggedized IP67-rated power bank.

  • Dead USB charger

    Can you see what happened here?

  • Dead power bank

    Can you see what happened here?

  • Nitecore 21700 intelligent battery system

    Super-compact power bank for the minimalist.

ZDNet
Connect with us

© 2021 ZDNET, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Privacy Policy | Cookie Settings | Advertise | Terms of Use

  • Topics
  • Galleries
  • Videos
  • Sponsored Narratives
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About ZDNet
  • Meet The Team
  • All Authors
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Reprint Policy
  • Manage | Log Out
  • Join | Log In
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Site Assistance
  • ZDNet Academy
  • TechRepublic Forums