【3D Printing】Modern Drones Aid Humpback Whale Conservation – How Bambu Lab Printers Support the WHASER Project
Tandem Ventures developed a compact open-source drone system for safe and accurate measurement of endangered humpback whales.
Tandem Ventures developed a compact open-source drone system for safe and accurate measurement of endangered humpback whales.
Conservation engineers Sam Rogers and Edwin Towler from Tandem Ventures collaborated with the charity Whale Wise to develop an innovative measurement system called WHASER, which uses drones equipped with LiDAR sensors to study humpback whales.
This project was created in response to real-world challenges, aiming to increase understanding of the long-term effects of whale entanglement in fishing gear—one of the most serious threats facing these animals.
Bambu Lab, as one of the official partners of this project, provides technical support in the field of 3D printing and suitable materials.
| The Problem of Fishing Gear Entanglement
Entanglement in fishing lines and nets poses a significant threat to humpback whales. This restricts their movement, foraging, and breathing ability, often leading to drowning or starvation.
Survivors may carry fishing gear for years, suffering from wounds, infections, and reduced physical function. Scars left by entanglement are permanent testaments to these events.
Previous assessments of the problem's scale relied mainly on photographs taken from boats, which could only show a limited portion of the whale's body.
Consequently, the true number of entanglement incidents and their long-term impact on population health and resilience remain underestimated.
| Measuring Whales Is a Technical Challenge
To understand the impact of entanglement on humpback whale health, scientists must accurately measure their body length and proportions to assess their physical condition.
Measuring swimming animals over ten meters long in open water is extremely difficult. Traditional measuring tools are useless, and direct contact with whales is neither possible nor ethical.
Therefore, Whale Wise began using drones combined with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology.
Drones capture images of whales on the surface, while LiDAR precisely measures the drone's flight altitude by emitting infrared pulses and recording the return time. Combining altitude data, camera parameters, and images allows for highly accurate calculation of whale size.
| Limitations of Existing Equipment
Although existing whale observation systems function and collect valuable data, they suffer from numerous practical flaws. External LiDAR modules are bulky, heavy, and protrude below the drone, making them vulnerable to damage during takeoff and landing. The system requires manual launching and catching of the drone, often necessitating protective gloves.
Exposed wires are too close to the propellers, posing a safety hazard and increasing the risk of failure. Furthermore, the system lacks clear user feedback—system status can only be inferred through blinking LED indicators, without direct access to data logging, battery level, or LiDAR operation information.
Even basic tasks like removing the SD card require dismantling the casing, which is both time-consuming and risky in harsh field conditions.
| Designing a Better Solution
Rogers and Towler decided to redesign the system from scratch, focusing on three main goals: simplifying operation and improving safety, enhancing data logging reliability, and adapting the equipment for a wider range of working conditions, including research conducted from boats.
Inspiration came from the open-source LiDARBoX project developed by Oregon State University, but the new project aimed to go further.
The team opted for more modern, lighter electronic components and integrated the system entirely into a compact enclosure.
At the core of WHASER is an Arduino ESP32 Nano microcontroller, which works with a new, smaller LiDAR sensor, a GPS module, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a microSD card reader, a USB-C rechargeable battery, and a small OLED display.
Each design iteration gradually reduced the drone's weight, which directly extended its flight time.
| Ergonomics and the "Product" Approach
While electronic components were being developed, the physical form of the device was also improved. We utilized Bambu Lab's 3D printers to design and test multiple enclosure solutions. One solution adopted a modular design, where the electronic module was fixed to the drone but detachable. Another integrated the enclosure with a handle for gripping the drone.
After testing with non-technical users, a hybrid solution was chosen—easy to install quickly, safe and reliable, and suitable for takeoff and landing on both land and sea.
The final design also considered operation with gloves and in adverse weather conditions.
| Testing in Iceland
The first fully functional WHASER prototype was tested during the summer in Iceland's Westfjords with the Whale Wise team. The device is smaller and lighter, features a built-in battery, and is equipped with an OLED screen that displays key information such as battery level, LiDAR readings, SD card status, and GPS signal.
During testing, the system performed well in both trial flights and actual research conditions. The system successfully measured three humpback whales, and the collected data (including a measured length of 10.24 meters for one whale) was consistent with previous records, confirming the system's high accuracy.
The final version of WHASER was further optimized—reduced weight, simplified assembly, moisture protection for charging ports and SD card, and design compatibility with various drone models.
The project remains open-source, allowing research teams worldwide to adapt and localize production.
WHASER is not just a new technological product, but a practical tool that truly aids cetacean conservation. It allows scientists to focus on research rather than struggling with equipment issues.
The WHASER project is not Tandem Ventures' first foray into the intersection of engineering and marine conservation. Previously, the team collaborated with Project Seagrass and Swansea University to develop the Seagrass Harvester—an innovative device for mechanically collecting seagrass seeds.
The project aims to significantly accelerate the restoration of underwater seagrass meadows, nearly half of which have disappeared in recent decades due to human activities.
The Seagrass Harvester eliminates the need for divers to perform extremely slow manual collection; instead, it simply trails along the seabed, gently cutting seagrass shoots with seeds and transporting them to the surface. It is estimated that this method is a hundred times faster than traditional methods.
Like WHASER, rapid prototyping using Bambu Lab 3D printers and the open-access concept played a crucial role—complete project documentation will be released open-source, allowing research teams worldwide to adapt it.
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