I AM HYDRO CAMerasystem

The HYDRO CAM was specifically developed for monitoring fish and is designed for continuous use in the water. The system is based on robust and high-quality components and offers the user a wide range of possibilities without having to resort to additional software. The systems are flexible and versatile due to their robustness and compact design.
Our current product flyer as PDF download.

 

Fully integrated underwater camera system

The cameras are mainly used for monitoring fish in fish passes, fish bypasses, fish ladders, naturally designed bypass channels, but also in special solutions for fish passage and freely in the water at pessimal locations.
The camera system can also be used to support fish counting devices, counting basins and fish traps. Long-term monitoring can be easily realized by means of remote access and large storage capacity. The camera systems are used from the Arctic Circle to Southern Europe, from fjord systems to high alpine waters for various issues and have proven their robustness and reliability in numerous scenarios, like function checks, impact monitorings, studies of fish behavior and ethohydraulic investigations.

As a basis, the HYDRO CAM uses the IP camera system S16 Dualflex from the German manufacturer Mobotix.

The system has a day sensor (color) and separate night sensor (B/W). Through this combination, the system automatically adapts to the lighting situation and always delivers the best possible videos and images with up to 6-megapixel (3072 x 2048) resolution.

The sensors are of very high quality and the night sensor is one of the lightest infrared sensors available on the market. The separated sensors allow an optimum of image quality depending on the illumination. Mobotix cameras are characterized by their special video format which produces sharp single images in full resolution even during fast motion.

Also, the two different types of motion detection integrated in the camera systems offer an optimized detection of movement in the water and a reduction of false counts.

The multispectral illumination of the camera system consists of white light, infrared, and ultraviolet LEDs.

Each spectrum can be controlled individually, and the intensity can be adjusted according to the requirements. The infrared illumination provides unobtrusive illumination, especially at night. The UV light reduces biofilm growth in front of the illumination unit and can be used for indirect background illumination using fluorescent surfaces. The camera technology is housed in a fully waterproof enclosure and connected to the logger box by cable.

The housing is made of a high-strength plastic (polyoxymethylene, short: POM) and is milled out of a CNC block. The material is characterized by its hardness, strength, and abrasion resistance, making it an ideal material for permanent use in the water.

A multi-layer laminated safety glass offers sufficient protection against external stresses, such as those that can occur during bedload transport or due to floating debris. However, should individual layers in the glass break, the plastic lamination thus provides an additional, elastic barrier against water penetration.

The so-called „Logger Box" is the counterpart to the camera system. It contains the control and power supply and is installed above the water surface. It offers connections for the operation of up to two external camera housings, a network connection, an SMA connection for an external LTE and WiFi antenna, as well as a connection for power supply. Furthermore, the modem is integrated here.

All external connections comply with the IP68 protection class and can therefore be installed outdoors.

Camera and logger box have different mounting options on the housing. The camera system has holes with internal threads (M8) on the sides and holes for frontal mounting in the corners.

The camera system can thus be easily and safely installed on surfaces, on a rail system or suspended in standing water.

A modem for mobile data use (2G/3G/4G) is integrated in the logger box (SIM card required). This allows remote access to the system via mobile data, WiFi or network.
The system is powered by a network cable PoE+- (Power over Ethernet), 230V AC or 10-48V DC. Operation as a stand-alone solution using battery, solar or a wind generator is possible. The system can be operated completely without additional software.

The control of the cameras, lighting and motion detection can be done by web interface via browser and is intuitive. The cameras can be operated there as live stream, in continuous recording mode or in event recording mode. In the latter, videos are only recorded when motion occurs within a defined field of view. The MXActivitySensor, available for this purpose, as well as the integrated motion detection, can reduce the video material without motion to a minimum after calibration. Using the free MxManagementCenter (Mobotix) data management and evaluation software, the data can be managed, evaluated, and exported to a computer or external hard disk.

The evaluation of the data can be done locally after data backup. If the mobile connection quality is sufficient (at least 3G), the evaluation can also be done efficiently via remote access without having to download the material in a time-consuming way. Evaluation via remote access also consumes significantly less data volume compared to regular data download.

The system was specially developed for monitoring fish. In addition to monitoring and observation of fish in streams, the areas of application in freshwater include checking the functionality of fish passes as well as monitoring bypass openings and checking fish traps and counting basins.

The cameras are designed for permanent use even under high loads such as flotsam and bedload in alpine waters. In stagnant waters, the cameras are used, for example, for the detection of fish swimming through an open fish trap or fyke.

All materials, plugs and connections used are suitable for both brackish and sea water.
The system is designed to take up little space and can also be easily retrofitted to existing installations.