Treffer: The design of an aquatic insect imaging device as part of a system to automate insect classification for biomonitoring

Population counts of aquatic insects are a valuable tool for monitoring the water quality of rivers and streams. However, the handling of samples in the lab for species identification is time consuming. An aquatic insect imaging device was designed as part of a system to automate aquatic insect classification and was tested using several species and size classes of stonefly (Plecoptera). The device uses ethanol to transport specimens via a transparent rectangular tube to a digital camera. A small jet is used to position and reorient the specimens so that sufficient pictures can be taken to classify them with pattern recognition. This project demonstrates a possible design for an automated aquatic insect imaging device and is an example of the collaboration possibilities between the engineering and life science disciplines.