Robin – Real-time Acoustic Detection and Reporting Unit

The Robin is our real-time detection and reporting unit and we use it to monitor marine environments (e.g., listenforwhales.org) as well as terrestrial environments (e.g., for detection of gunshots to aid anti-poaching efforts). The unit is based on a Raspberry Pi and features WiFi, cell, and Iridium satellite connectivity.

Deployed in the field, a Robin unit continuously monitors the soundscape for target signals and – if a signal is detected – transmits short raw data snippets back to the lab for manual review. An example is shown here (this web interface was also developed by CCB). In addition, the unit is typically configured to record the acoustic data continuously on-board which allows us to evaluate and improve the performance of the detectors and classifiers.