Data from: AudioMoth: evaluation of a smart open acoustic device for monitoring biodiversity and the environment

1. The cost, usability and power efficiency of available wildlife monitoring equipment currently inhibits full ground-level coverage of many natural systems. Developments over the last decade in technology, open science, and the sharing economy promise to bring global access to more versatile and more affordable monitoring tools, to improve coverage for conservation researchers and managers.
2. Here we describe the development and proof-of-concept of a low-cost, small-sized and low-energy acoustic detector: 'AudioMoth'. The device is open-source and programmable, with diverse applications for recording animal calls or human activity at sample rates of up to 384kHz. We briefly outline two ongoing real-world case studies of large-scale, long-term monitoring for biodiversity and exploitation of natural resources. These studies demonstrate the potential for AudioMoth to enable a substantial shift away from passive continuous recording by individual devices, towards smart detection by networks of devices flooding large and inaccessible ecosystems.
3. The case studies demonstrate one of the smart capabilities of AudioMoth, to trigger event logging on the basis of classification algorithms that identify specific acoustic events. An algorithm to trigger recordings of the New Forest cicada (Cicadetta montana) demonstrates the potential for AudioMoth to vastly improve the spatial and temporal coverage of surveys for the presence of cryptic animals. An algorithm for logging gunshot events has potential to identify a shotgun blast in tropical rainforest at distances of up to 500 m, extending to 1km with continuous recording.
4. AudioMoth is more energy efficient than currently available passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) devices, giving it considerably greater portability and longevity in the field with smaller batteries. At a build cost of ~US$43 per unit, AudioMoth has potential for varied applications in large-scale, long-term acoustic surveys. With continuing developments in smart, energy-efficient algorithms and diminishing component costs, we are approaching the milestone of local communities being able to afford to remotely monitor their own natural resources.

1. 当前市面上的野生动物监测设备受限于成本、易用性与能效表现，难以对多数自然生态系统实现全地面覆盖监测。近十年来，技术、开放科学与共享经济领域的发展，有望让全球研究者均可获取更多功能多元、成本可控的监测工具，进而提升保护研究人员与管理者的监测覆盖能力。
2. 本文介绍了一款低成本、小型化、低功耗的声学探测器AudioMoth的研发与概念验证过程。该设备开源且支持可编程，可实现最高384kHz采样率的动物鸣声或人类活动录音，应用场景多元。本文简要概述了两项正在进行的真实世界案例研究，分别针对生物多样性与自然资源开发开展大规模长期监测。这些案例研究展现了AudioMoth的应用潜力：它有望推动监测模式从单一设备的被动连续录音，向覆盖广阔且难以抵达的生态系统的设备网络智能检测大幅转型。
3. 上述案例研究展现了AudioMoth的一项智能功能：基于识别特定声学事件的分类算法触发事件日志记录。一款用于触发新森林蝉（Cicadetta montana）录音的算法，证实了AudioMoth可大幅提升针对隐秘动物物种存在情况的调查的时空覆盖范围。另一款用于记录枪声事件的算法，则可在热带雨林中最远500米处识别霰弹枪射击声，若采用连续录音模式，识别距离可拓展至1千米。
4. AudioMoth的能效表现优于当前市面上的被动声学监测（passive acoustic monitoring, PAM）设备，搭配容量更小的电池即可获得更强的野外便携性与更长的续航时长。单台设备的制造成本约为43美元，使得AudioMoth可广泛应用于大规模长期声学调查中。随着智能高效算法的持续迭代与元器件成本的不断降低，本地社区能够负担起自主远程监测自有自然资源的时代已近在咫尺。