In spring, Johns Hopkins’ Homewood campus is a symphony of chirping birds, students chattering, and the hum of lawnmowers and hedge trimmers. To a group of engineering students, this pleasant auditory chorus is more than background noise: It’s an opportunity to use acoustic sensors to learn more about avian life on campus.
The electrical and computer engineering undergraduates installed a network of devices in trees on campus. These sensors use radio links to transmit data about sound sources, rather than actual audio, according to Andreas Andreou, professor of electrical and computer engineering and project mentor.
“What we are doing in this Homewood Soundscape project is monitoring birds and learning about the types of birds on campus: basically, deciphering their chirps and calls and turning it into meaningful data.”
The project combines sensory systems, embedded processing, and machine learning: all crucial electrical and computer engineering concepts. Eventually, the students plan to expand the project to include other sensors, including those that measure water quality in the surrounding streams.
“Ultimately, this marriage of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and environmental monitoring showcases JHU’s dedication to harnessing the power of technology for the betterment of its community and beyond,” Andreou said.