MOBOTIX solutions in the service of science

Nearly 1,500 hours of live broadcasting have allowed to know the evolution of the volcano of La Palma through MOBOTIX cameras.
The flexibility and choice of MOBOTIX modules allow them to be adapted to each project.
The MiNiO (Meteo Nano Observatory) controllers created for the EELabs project coordinated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias are a benchmark of success.

A few weeks ago, the activity of the La Palma volcano was reduced until it practically disappeared. This marks the end of nearly 1500 hours of live broadcasting – and nearly 400,000 views – during which, for three months, the MOBOTIX S16 cameras installed in the MiNiO (Meteo Nano Observatory) controller of the Interreg EELabs project have been broadcasting the evolution of the Cumbre Vieja volcano from the highest point of the island, the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Garafía, La Palma). 

Thanks to the information provided by this camera from the beginning of the eruption on 19 September, the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) were able to estimate the height of the gas column and, therefore, its approximate flow.

This is just one of the more than 30 MOBOTIX cameras installed in the Canary Islands Observatories, which observe the meteorology on the summits of Tenerife and La Palma and are also used in scientific experiments. This is the case of the cameras installed in the MiNiO controllers of the EELabs project, which aim to assess the impact of light pollution on the natural ecosystems of Macaronesia.

Photometer and MiNiNo in the Teide cablecar (Tenerife, Spain). Credit: EELabs / IAC.

“The fact that our solutions are so flexible and modular means that they can be adapted in such a way that each project’s needs can be met. This has been the case with MinNiO, a great success story. And the fact that it is now being used to help to calibrate the impact of the volcano in La Palma has been very fortunate”, says Alfredo Gutiérrez, Country Manager for Iberia & Italia+ at MOBOTIX.

The MiNiOs are equipped with a MOBOTIX all sky S16 camera with a 180° view and an M16. These cameras are used for cloud detection and environmental imaging, respectively. In addition, within EELabs, the MiNiOs have a raspberry that provides internet service to both the cameras and the project’s photometers, which measure the natural darkness at night in places that are difficult to access.

There are currently six MiNiOs of the Interreg EELabs project installed in Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria, which receive data on the darkness of the sky on these islands and whose cameras can be consulted through the sky-live.tv portal. Over the next few months, new MiNiO devices will be installed in Madeira and Corvo (Azores), which will make it possible to assess how light pollution affects seabirds.

“We have been working with MOBOTIX equipment for a long time. Among other advantages, they are very resistant to the most extreme conditions, which allows us to maintain constant monitoring of the skies from our observatories,” says Miquel Serra-Ricart, Administrator of the Teide Observatory of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).

About EELabs Project

EELabs (eelabs.eu) is a project funded by the INTERREG V-A MAC Programme 2014-2020, co-financed by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) of the European Union, under contract number MAC2/4.6d/238. EELabs involves 5 Macaronesian centres (IAC, ITER, UPGC, SPEA-Azores, SPEA-Madeira). The objective of EELabs is to create Laboratories to measure the Energy Efficiency of Artificial Night Light in protected natural areas of Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores).

About Mobotix AG

MOBOTIX is a leading manufacturer of intelligent IP video systems, relying on technological innovation to offer decentralised, cyber-secure and superior quality solutions. Founded in 1999, MOBOTIX is headquartered in Langmeil, Germany. The company focuses on research and development and production “Made in Germany”. The company has offices in New York, Dubai, Sydney, Paris, Madrid and Moscow. Customers all over the world rely on the durability and reliability of MOBOTIX hardware and software. The flexibility of the solutions, the integrated intelligent functions and the data security are valued in many industries. MOBOTIX products and solutions are ideally suited to the needs of a wide range of industries, such as industrial facilities, retail, logistics, healthcare and more. In close cooperation with its technology partners around the world, the company continues to develop its universal platform as well as new applications for different industries based on artificial intelligence and deep learning.