Sensory pollution simulator
We know that vehicle noise and artificial light affect animal behavior and physiology (Gaston & Holt 2018, Dooling et al. 2019), but many studies lack either an accurate representation of light (e.g. pulsing constant light sources), lack fading light or have a limited number of exposures (Fabusova et al. 2024, Passarotto et al. 2025, DeVault et al. 2020). In collaboration with engineers Shuxuan Chen and Chuck Elliott, I developed a traffic simulator that can run independently in captivity or in the wild.
Check out the device in action:
This project is in preparation to be submitted to a scientific journal!
References
DeVault, T. L., Seamans, T. W., & Blackwell, B. F. (2020). Frontal vehicle illumination via rear-facing lighting reduces potential for collisions with white-tailed deer. Ecosphere, 11(7), e03187. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3187
Dooling, R. J., Buehler, D., Leek, M. R., & Popper, A. N. (2019). The impact of urban and traffic noise on birds. Acoustics Today, 15(3), 19. https://doi.org/10.1121/AT.2019.15.3.19
Fabusova, M., Gaston, K. J., & Troscianko, J. (2024). Pulsed artificial light at night alters moth flight behaviour. Biology Letters, 20(11), 20240403. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0403
Gaston, K. J., & Holt, L. A. (2018). Nature, extent and ecological implications of night-time light from road vehicles. Journal of Applied Ecology, 55(5), 2296–2307. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13157
Passarotto, A., Morosinotto, C., & Karell, P. (2025). Experimental noise and light pollution alter prey detection in a nocturnal bird of prey. Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(7), 1398–1409. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70062
Kalina Eskew 