"Splatometer" Allows Distributed Bug Reports

Snags writes "The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK has invented a device they call a Splatometer. According to the BBC, the Independent, and others, they are planning to ask people all around the country to mount the device on their cars. Then, after a journey, it gets sealed and sent to a lab where the number and kind of bug splats are analyzed. This sounds like distributed data collection to me, taking advantage of the unused resources (bumper surface area) of a benevolent population, like SETI@Home does with CPU cycles. I wonder if they've considered some form of distributed analysis as well."

Bug Size?

[Lshmael]

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says species like tree sparrows and corn bunting are on the decline.

It wants to know whether the apparent decline in the number of bees, ladybirds, moths and other insects has anything to do with this.

From my perusal of car windshields, front bumpers, and grilles, it has always seemed to me that the vast majority of bugs on cars are smaller than bees, ladybugs, and moths. I also take issue with the contention that this is somehow cool because it is "distributed data collection." Any survey or opinion poll is "distributed data collection;" the only thing that is unique about this is the method used to collect data.

Re:Bug Size?

[Xilman]

the only thing that is unique about this is the method used to collect data.

The first thing that came to mind when I heard about this project (on BBC radio yesterday) was that it sounded very much like the technique for collecting and identifying bits of comets, paint chips and other hypersonic garbage that's floating around in the inner solar system. Same idea, similar technology, thousand-fold difference in speed, million-fold difference in particle mass.

Paul

Re:Bug Size?

[Snags]

the vast majority of bugs on cars are smaller than bees, ladybugs, and moths.

Ladybugs eat other bugs. And there is a selection of the larger bugs; they usually just bounce off. Check out a radiator.

Re:Bug Size?

[fifedrum]

If motorcyclists installed the collection plate over their mouths (or over any exposed skin) they would capture plenty of bees, lady bugs, moths and larger insects. That's where the largest ones impact when I ride.

Seriously though, the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle has something to do with size and location of impact?

Flat bugs

[PunkeyFunky]

I'll be keen to know how they can identify the different types if bugs that adorn my window/bumper/etc, as they are usually reduced to a thin layer of slime. Maybe the 'splatometer' has a soft landing pad to have the bugs not quite so squished?

Re:Flat bugs

[jasoncart]

You drive too fast

Re:Flat bugs

[PunkeyFunky]

Guilty as charged m'lud...

At first

[frankjr]

I thought we were talking about bug reports, as in, those flaws in computer programs?!

Re:At first

[jalet]

I guess this was on purpose, but maybe I'm wrong...

Re:At first

[jasoncart]

What about... both? [jamesshuggins.com]

If anyones bug database should be called...

[jcwren]

"bugzilla", it's these people.

Likelihood

[vigilology]

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says species like tree sparrows and corn bunting are on the decline.

It wants to know whether the apparent decline in the number of bees, ladybirds, moths and other insects has anything to do with this.

I am wondering what the likelihood of insects being killed by vehicles and having any affect on bird populations is, too...

There's a great book about this...

[lgordon]

One of my friends from the University of Florida has written a book about just this sort of thing called "That Gunk on Your Car."
Check it out...
That Gunk on Your Car [ufl.edu]

scan and email?

[fifedrum]

Why can't study participants scan the collection plate and email the resulting image? Just include some glass cleaner with the collection plate so you could wipe off the platten.

Sure, emailing a high-resolution scanned image of a target would make biological sampling impossible, but it would give a pretty good first look. If they put distance markers on the target, they could compare splatter marks and any leftover bug-chunks (wings?) for size... now, off to lunch...

Re:scan and email?

[PhuCknuT]

Just include some glass cleaner with the collection plate so you could wipe off the platten.

WTF is a platten?

Re:scan and email?

[fifedrum]

that's the part of the scanner, the flat glass thing you put the but spattered sample on.

cheating

[chloroquine]

How many people would be tempted to send their sticky bug thing to a friend in another country just to screw around with the data?

Re:cheating

[Guppy]

"How many people would be tempted to send their sticky bug thing to a friend in another country just to screw around with the data?"

From Journal Entry for Specimen #642737:
"Irregular medium-sized bug splat, white-ish in color. Upon microscopic examination... Ummm-- that's odd... this particular bug splat seems to contain a large number of spermatozoa. Well, moving right along to Specimen #642738 now..."