用数码相机来监测老虎的呼吸、狮子的脉搏

用数码相机来监测老虎的呼吸、狮子的脉搏

A pilot study undertaken by researchers from the University of South Australia at Adelaide Zoo, has developed a new way to undertake basic health checks of exotic wildlife using a digital camera, saving them the stress of an anaesthetic.

南澳大利亚大学阿德莱德动物园的研究人员进行了一项试点研究，他们开发了一种新方法，用数码相机对外来野生动物进行基本健康检查，从而避免麻醉这些动物的压力。

Filming animals using a high-resolution digital camera installed on a tripod could offer another way for veterinarians to take an animal's pulse or check its breathing rate.

用安装在三脚架上的高分辨率数码相机拍摄动物，可能为兽医提供另一种测量动物脉搏或检查其呼吸频率的方法。

In the UniSA study, nine species of Adelaide Zoo's animals were filmed for three minutes, up to 40 metres away, picking up tiny movements in the chest cavity that indicate heart and breathing rates.

在尤尼萨大学的研究中，9种阿德莱德动物园的动物在40米开外的地方被拍摄了3分钟，捕捉到了胸腔中显示心跳和呼吸频率的微小运动。

The animals filmed included a giant panda, African lion, Sumatran tiger, orangutan, Hamadryas baboon, koala, red kangaroo, alpaca and a little blue penguin.

拍摄的动物包括大熊猫、非洲狮、苏门答腊虎、猩猩、狒狒、考拉、红袋鼠、羊驼和一只小蓝企鹅。

UniSA Professor Javaan Chahl, a remote sensing engineer and one of the study leads, says the experiment recorded heart and breathing signal from all the animals.

尤尼萨州立大学的Javaan Chahl教授是一名遥感工程师，也是这项研究的领导者之一。他说，这项实验记录了所有动物的心脏和呼吸信号。

The study was done without any physical contact with the animals and without disrupting their daily routine, Prof Chahl says.

“这项研究没有与动物进行任何身体接触，也没有打乱它们的日常生活。”Chahl教授说。

Until now, monitoring vital signs of wild animals has used specialised equipment and usually required disturbing them or their environment.

“到目前为止，监测野生动物的生命体征已经使用了专门的设备，但通常需要干扰它们或它们的环境。”

We showed through this experiment that digital cameras can successfully extract cardiopulmonary signals from the animals in a zoo setting. The technique needs refining and more validation, but it demonstrates that wild animals can be remotely monitored for signs of poor health, allowing for earlier detection of illness and fewer unconscious trips to the vet, Prof Chahl says.

“我们通过这个实验证明，数码相机可以成功地从动物园里的动物身上提取心肺信号。这项技术需要改进和更多的验证，但它表明，可以远程监控野生动物健康状况不佳的迹象，从而更早地发现疾病，减少就医。”Chahl教授说。

Adelaide Zoo's veterinarian, Dr Ian Smith, congratulated the researchers. "The study so far looks very promising as a useful tool for monitoring animals both in a zoo setting but also in open range and wild settings."

阿德莱德动物园的兽医伊恩·史密斯博士对研究人员表示祝贺。“到目前为止，这项研究有望成为一种有用的工具，既可以监控动物园环境中的动物，也可以监控开阔的牧场和野生环境中的动物。”