Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
He's bang on target
|
Swiss scientist Andre Pittet, who is based at the Indian Institute of Science, has given a touch of sophistication to the camera traps used by wildlife researchers
|
MAN WITH HIS MACHINE Andre Pittet's camera trap is a godsend for a section of the scientific community PHOTO: K. GOPINATHAN
Simplicity is the core ethos that governs scientist Andre Pittet's life and work. Wearing a simple shirt and sandals, he says: "I'm not a suit-and-tie person."
Though from Switzerland, Pittet has made the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore his home for the past 25 years. The years of sunny Indian weather has given him a definitely un-Swiss skin tone. "I somehow forgot to go back!" he laughs.
King of his niche
Not many of us would have heard of Pittet or his work, but to a section of the scientific community his work is godsend. He works in the ultra-niche area of electronics called Mechatronics and specialises in building camera traps for wildlife researchers.
Walking into his office at the Centre for Electronics Design and Technology, the first thing one notices is the grey steel box nestled in the midst of old cameras and the walls dominated by photographs of wild animals. The grey steel box is his latest version of his camera trap.
Pittet first came to India in February 1980. He works with the Swiss Government's Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). He is a graduate from the Federal Polytechnic School, Lausanne in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. He did his Ph.D. in Electronics and his thesis was on the motors that power quartz watches. "I studied the motors for four-and-a-half years to make them work better. There are very few specialists in that field."
His specialisation generated a lot of interest in Switzerland as it is the watch-making capital of the world, but Pittet wasn't enthused. "I did not want to spend my life with motors." When he first came to India, Pittet was concentrating purely on engineering but slowly gravitated towards Mechatronics (electro-mechanics) as he felt it was "full of challenges".
Initially he says he liked Bangalore but as it grew, he says, he began to feel a distance with it. Travelling with his adopted daughter Malini, a nature lover, to the forests first brought him in contact with wildlife researchers.
"I have always enjoyed nature. The more Bangalore grew, the more I felt like moving into the forest. I once went with my daughter to Kabini and Bandipur. That's when I got in touch with nature people."
When Pittet saw the researchers working on the field, he noticed that the camera traps they were using to record animal movements, though locally manufactured, were quite cumbersome to set up. So he wanted to help them out.
Pittet says there are two technologies when it comes to camera traps. One uses a thin-focussed infrared beam to trigger the camera while the other detects ambient infrared radiation. He calls the former an active system and the latter passive. Though he says the active system (which the researchers were using) is good technology, he points out that it has many limitations (see box).
Pittet's special camera trap basically uses two infrared sensors coupled to a camera. The sensors are tuned to the body heat of animals whether an elephant or a mynah. When pointed in a direction the twin sensors are sensitive to moving hot bodies. So, when it senses an animal's heat and if the animal moves, it takes a picture with the camera.
Fine-tuned
Today the camera trap is much more advanced than its first version, which was encased jerry can from Yeshwantpur. Now it comes in its own steel casing and quite weather and animal-tamper proof. Pittet has tried to keep the prices as low as possible, so he uses only film cameras. His own team manufactures the units and they are now being used in Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Mizoram.
"I am only trying to help people looking after nature. I am still developing the technology and asking for feedback. There is no money in this. The very small financing comes from a trust. I have done some traps digital cameras, but battery life short and speed of the first shot is slow. I always use cheap cameras. Only National Geographic can afford Nikon. Our researchers want lesser prices and reliability. With digital cameras wireless transmission is possible but it is not my priority. I try to keep things as simple as possible for the user."
The photographs taken by the system are quite stunning. It is amazing how close the animals get to the system before it triggers. Elephants in particular are very curious and there are many pictures that have a jumbo slobbering the camera with its tongue or trying to gouge it out with its tusks.
"Elephants are extremely curious. The moment they see the flash they inspect the camera with their tongue and teeth. It is amazing and typical of elephants."
But this behaviour is subject of a long running debate. Does using the flash disturb wild animals?
"You cannot determine how animals behave when the flash lights. It is now subject of a very hot scientific debate. Many animals are not disturbed. The flash is similar to natural lighting like lightning. I would love to do a study on this, photographing animals with infrared cameras and with ordinary cameras using flash. It would make a good comparison."
Before signing off Pittet makes it a point to mention his colleagues' contribution in designing and manufacturing the system. "I try to have synergy among people working on the same topic. I have amazing colleagues. If I were alone I would not have done anything. Our team and staff are enthusiastic and don't get extra praise. The IISc campus itself is very special."
For more information on the camera trap visit: http://www.cedt.iisc.ernet.in/index.php?title=Introduction&page=camtrap&pid=7&Cid=4
The gadget
Andre Pittet explains the `active' system used to trigger a camera trap:
"The system uses two components — an infrared beam emitter and a receiver. When something crosses the beam it triggers the camera. But beam is very focused and trying to align the emitter with the receiver in the field is very difficult. Another problem with it is anything crossing the beam, even a dry leaf falling, will trigger it. Let me stress there is nothing wrong with the technology; it has its applications. But our system is better because it can be customised to specific needs, such as photographing from height a group of animals feeding."
ANAND SANKAR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
