The other day as I was thinking about trail cams and audio recorders it got me thinking about what other sensors could we use to log observations of animals? iNat predominately uses photographs for IDs but also supports Audio. What other sensors do you think could (or in the future) be used to obse…

Yes, I think pheromones (for bees) would work nicely. Interesting idea!

Chemical tests and DNA sequencing are relevant for some taxa (particularly lichens and fungi, but e.g. human viruses are also typically posted on iNat using chemical means such as antigen tests). DNA sequencing is posted in text form supplementing the other evidence in an observation. I suppose che…

Not quite sound (that humans can hear): I saw that there is a small attachment you can buy for your smartphone that detects and attempts to ID bat echolocations. I also saw an app for that. But, you would have to be able to save a printout of the recording or a modified version of the recording in o…

I think phase shifted (correct term?) and uploaded as audio covers this already. Therefore both bats and whales can be accommodated already. Alternatively you could add the sonogram as an image, but many threads on this forum discuss that and it’s discouraged.

[image] spiphany: Chemical tests and DNA sequencing are relevant for some taxa (particularly lichens and fungi, but e.g. human viruses are also typically posted on iNat using chemical means such as antigen tests). DNA sequencing is posted in text form supplementing the other evidence in an obse…

Let’s not forget that iNat is citizen science. Citizen scientists, on the whole, don’t have access to sophisticated laboratory equipment. So, for example, we can smell the fragrance of Wisteria blossoms, but we probably aren’t equipped to record the scent profile in a scientifically meaningful way. …

As for scent, the tech companies could add little devices to computers that release the scent in question. :wink:

[image] jasonhernandez74: Let’s not forget that iNat is citizen science. Citizen scientists, on the whole, don’t have access to sophisticated laboratory equipment. I agree - but technology is changing fast, and sensors for phones and robotics are evolving rapidly, so partly I was hoping peopl…

I think the greatest possibilities for citizen scientists are in the UV and IR ends of the spectrum. Trail cameras and other devices already work under low/no light conditions using light intensification or near IR flash systems. Thermal IR systems are decreasing in price. What would an Orca look li…

[image] HappyBird44: Yes a lot of other senses can be visualised as an image I suppose. But chemical and olfactory ones not so much It depends what you mean by “visualized”. Methods to record chemical analyses generally rely on some kind of visual medium that makes the results of the analysi…

Non-visual Observations

Nature Talk

Topic		Replies	Views
What is iNat's wish list for observations? General question	38	2036	May 27, 2022
Thermal Camera use in iNaturalist General	21	874	January 8, 2025
Bat Observations including Sound and Spectrograms General	7	2047	April 27, 2023
The Future of iNat: What Would You Like To See Improved? General	67	1496	April 1, 2026
Does 'behaviour' count as an observation? Why or why not? General	29	1378	August 23, 2022

Non-visual Observations

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