【3D Printing】Modern Drones Aid Humpback Whale Conservation - How Bambu Lab Printers Support the WHASER Project
Tandem Ventures has developed a compact, open-source drone system for safe and accurate measurement of endangered humpback whales.
Tandem Ventures has developed a compact, open-source drone system for safe and accurate measurement of endangered humpback whales.
Conservation engineers Sam Rogers and Edwin Towler from Tandem Ventures, in collaboration with the charity Whale Wise, have developed an innovative measurement system called WHASER. This system uses drones equipped with LiDAR sensors to study humpback whales.
The project was created in response to a real-world challenge, aiming to improve understanding of the long-term effects of whale entanglement in fishing gear – one of the most serious threats facing these animals.
Bambu Lab, as one of the official partners of the project, provides technical support in 3D printing and suitable materials.
| The Problem of Fishing Gear Entanglement
Entanglement in fishing lines and nets poses a significant threat to humpback whales. This restricts their movement, foraging, and ability to breathe, often leading to drowning or starvation.
Survivors may carry fishing gear for years, suffering from wounds, infections, and declining physical function. The scars left by entanglement serve as permanent testaments to these incidents.
Previous assessments of the problem's scale relied mainly on photographs taken from boats, which could only show a limited portion of the whale's body.
Consequently, the true number of entanglement incidents and their long-term impact on population health and adaptability remain underestimated.
| Measuring Whales is a Technical Challenge
To understand the impact of entanglement on humpback whale health, scientists must accurately measure their body length and proportions to assess their physical condition.
Measuring swimming animals over ten meters long in open water is extremely difficult. Traditional measuring tools are useless, and direct contact with whales is neither possible nor ethical.
Therefore, Whale Wise began using drones combined with LiDAR technology.
The drone captures images of whales on the surface, while the LiDAR precisely measures the drone's flight altitude by emitting infrared pulses and recording the return time. Combining altitude data, camera parameters, and images allows for highly accurate calculations of whale size.
| Limitations of Existing Equipment
Although the existing whale observation system is functional and collects valuable data, it suffers from several practical drawbacks. The external LiDAR module is bulky, heavy, and protrudes below the drone, making it vulnerable to damage during takeoff and landing. The system requires manual launching and catching of the drone, often with protective gloves.
Exposed wires are too close to the propellers, posing safety risks and increasing the chance of malfunction. Furthermore, the system lacks clear user feedback – system status can only be inferred through blinking LED indicators, without direct access to data logging, battery level, or LiDAR operation information.
Even basic tasks like removing the SD card require disassembling the housing, which is both time-consuming and hazardous in harsh field conditions.
| Designing a Better Solution
Rogers and Towler decided to redesign the system from the ground up, focusing on three main objectives: simplifying operation and improving safety, enhancing data logging reliability, and adapting the equipment for a wider range of operating conditions, including research conducted from boats.
The inspiration came from the open-source LiDARBoX project developed by Oregon State University, but the new project aimed to go further.
The team opted for more modern, lighter electronic components and integrated the system completely into a compact enclosure.
At the core of WHASER is an Arduino ESP32 Nano microcontroller, which works with a new, smaller LiDAR sensor, a GPS module, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a microSD card reader, a USB-C rechargeable battery, and a small OLED display.
Each design iteration gradually reduced the drone's weight, which directly extended its flight time.
| Ergonomics and a "Product" Approach
While the electronic components were being developed, the physical form of the device was also improved. We used Bambu Lab's 3D printers to design and test various enclosure concepts. One concept featured a modular design, with the electronic module fixed to the drone but detachable. Another integrated the enclosure with a handle for gripping the drone.
After testing with non-technical users, we chose a hybrid solution – easy to install quickly, safe and reliable, and suitable for takeoff and landing on both land and boats.
The final design also considered operation with gloves and in adverse weather conditions.
| Testing in Iceland
The first fully functional WHASER prototype was tested with the Whale Wise team in the Westfjords of Iceland during the summer. The device is smaller and lighter, with a built-in battery and an OLED screen that displays key information such as battery level, LiDAR readings, SD card status, and GPS signal.
During testing, the system performed well in both test flights and actual research conditions. The system successfully measured three humpback whales, and the collected data (including a measured length of 10.24 meters for one whale) was consistent with previous records, confirming the system's high accuracy.
The final version of WHASER was further optimized – weight reduced, assembly simplified, charging port and SD card protected from moisture, and designed to be compatible with various drone models.
The project remains open source, allowing research teams worldwide to adapt and localize production.
WHASER is not just a new technological product, but a practical tool that truly aids in cetacean conservation. It allows scientists to focus on research rather than struggling with equipment issues.
The WHASER project is not Tandem Ventures' first foray into the intersection of engineering and marine conservation. Previously, the team collaborated with Project Seagrass and Swansea University to develop the Seagrass Harvester – an innovative device for mechanically collecting seagrass seeds.
The goal of this project is to significantly accelerate the restoration of underwater seagrass beds, nearly half of which have disappeared in recent decades due to human activities.
The Seagrass Harvester eliminates the need for incredibly slow manual collection by divers. Instead, it is towed along the seafloor, gently cutting seagrass shoots with seeds and transporting them to the surface. It is estimated that this method is a hundred times faster than traditional methods.
As with WHASER, the use of Bambu Lab 3D printers for rapid prototyping and the open-access concept played a crucial role – complete project documentation will be released as open source, allowing research teams worldwide to adapt it.
Article Source
Learn more about Bambu Lab products here 👈
- Contact Us -
3DMart offers more than just 3D printing, we provide three major custom services: "3D Printing Service", "3D Scanning Service", and "3D Spatial Scanning Service".
Follow our fan page to stay updated:
Facebook | Instagram | Threads