After more than 15 years relying on the StarDot NetCam SC as the standard camera for the PhenoCam Network, supply chain issues associated with COVID-19 led to the phasing-out, and eventual retirement, of this ultra-reliable IOT device (the Harvard Forest and Proctor Maple Research Center NetCam SC phenocams, both installed in April 2008, are both still running and have together recorded over a half-million images, and the NetCam SC had been previously installed at over 800 PhenoCam sites worldwide, from Massachusetts to Madagascar). The StarDot Live2 camera was suggested as a possible successor, but the off-the-shelf model lacked some essential features needed for phenological applications. Former lab member and BlueGreen Labs founder Koen Hufkens worked extensively with StarDot hardware engineer Dan Lawton to develop the custom firmware and configuration scripts that would enable the Live2 camera to be a viable replacement for the NetCam SC.
Mostafa, Francisco (a visiting PhD student during fall 2024), Koen, and Andrew conducted extensive testing and analysis to ensure that the Live2 camera would be a worthy successor to the NetCam SC. Their analysis has just been published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. A key-takeaway is that the comparable performance of the Live2 to the NetCam SC ensures good continuity in phenological data, thereby supporting the PhenoCam Network’s efforts to serve as a long-term phenological observatory that provides the highest-quality phenological data derived from near-surface remote sensing.
Thank you Koen and Dan for your efforts, and Francisco for your visit!
