ISSS608 2017-18 T3 Assign Zhang Yingdi
VAST Mini Challenge 1: "Cheep" Shots?
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Overview
In 2017, the VAST Challenge results suggested that the Kasios Furniture manufacturing company may have been a primary contributor to the apparent reduction of the number of nesting pairs of the Rose-Crested Blue Pipit. Kasios supposedly used the banned substance Methylosmolene in their manufacturing process. They surreptitiously dumped process waste in the northeast region of the Preserve and Methylosmolene was detected in their smokestack emissions. However, Kasios now claims that the analysis was flawed and biased. To combat these conclusions, Kasios has launched their own “investigation” into the Pipit situation, and they are now reporting that there are plenty of Rose-crested Blue Pipits happily living and nesting in the Preserve. To back up this claim, they have provided a set of Pipit bird calls, recently recorded across the Preserve, with locations of where they were recorded. Clearly, they claim, the Pipits are a thriving population, and Kasios will provide even more supporting evidence as their investigation proceeds.
The Pangera Ornithology Conservation Society, who sponsored Mitch last year, is at their wit’s end at what to do about this turn of events. The townsfolk and Preserve rangers seem satisfied that the recordings back up Kasios’ claims. Mistford College does not have another Pipit expert they can call upon for help. But, they do have a collection of bird calls from the Preserve that has been vetted by various ornithology groups as having accurate identifications. They have heard that new techniques from machine learning and visual analytics can be applied to situations like this. Perhaps, the calls could be classified and analyzed using these technologies, and reviewed when Mitch returns.
Tasks and Questions
- Using the bird call collection and the included map of the Wildlife Preserve, characterize the patterns of all of the bird species in the Preserve over the time of the collection. Do you detect any trends or anomalies in the patterns?
- Turn your attention to the set of bird calls supplied by Kasios. Does this set support the claim of Pipits being found across the Preserve? A machine learning approach using the bird call library may help your investigation. What is the role of visualization in your analysis of the Kasios bird calls?
- Formulate a hypotheses concerning the state of the Rose Crested Blue Pipit. What are your primary pieces of evidence to support your assertion? What next steps should be taken in the investigation to either support or refute the Kasios claim that the Pipits are actually thriving across the Boonsong Lekagul Wildlife Preserve?
