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nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CANON NU-700N P/T/Z CAMERA SYSTEM
KEEPS AN EYE ON WILDLIFE AND FOCUSES ON A NEW ERA OF RESEARCH
AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Turnkey Camera System With 100X Zoom Range Enables Remote
Wildlife Observation For ‘Access Without Impact’
LAKE SUCCESS, NEW YORK, March 10, 2004 – “Up
close and personal” once referred only to sports or
news events caught on camera. Now, wildlife roaming remote
locations at all times of the day and night and sometimes
exposed to extreme weather conditions in the world’s
first national park are the newest reality stars to appear
on camera.
Wildlife biologists at Yellowstone National Park have 2.2
million acres to monitor. Their assignments, which have
included “roughing it” by following the herds
to study the habitat, now have become a lot easier and more
rewarding with the installation of unique digital technology
in various remote areas of the park.
As part of the longterm relationship between Canon and
Yellowstone, two Canon NU-700N Network Controllable Pan/Tilt/Zoom
(P/T/Z) systems have been deployed in highly remote areas
deep inside the park to help create an exciting new era
in wildlife observation. Running on solar and wind-generated
power, the Canon NU-700N camera systems are providing Yellowstone
scientists with groundbreaking information on bison, elk,
wolf and grizzly bear habitat.
“There’s a highly dynamic ecosystem here,
and that’s a context for an exciting application for
the camera systems,” said Dr. Glenn Plumb, supervisory
wildlife biologist for Yellowstone National Park. “It’s
integral to a framework for incorporating new technologies
into wildlife science, with the potential for very low intrusion
into the wilderness setting. This is allowing us to get
information that was previously unavailable.”
An educational and research program, Eyes on Yellowstone
is made possible by Canon. Funding for
the Yellowstone Park Foundation (www.ypf.org) by Canon U.S.A.,
Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), assists with
important scientific research and breaks new ground in conservation,
endangered species protection and the application of cutting-edge
science and technology that is
essential to managing park wildlife and ecosystems. Canon
technology also is used for education to increase public
access to the wonder and magic of one of the most recognizable
and popular parks in
the world (www.windowsintowonderland.org) and to raise awareness
about the importance of
environmental protection and conservation.
Each Canon NU-700N is situated on a lonely outpost in Yellowstone,
miles from the nearest road and accessible only by horseback,
hiking, or skiing in winter. Rather than traveling to strategic
locations in the park’s Mary Mountain and Pelican
Valley areas, and living in snow caves for several days
during the harsh winters as is common with field work, Dr.
Plumb and his researchers now capture and study amazing
close ups of wildlife via microwave remote control of the
Canon NU-700N from the warmth of park headquarters.
“The imagery that’s transmitted from the cameras
is high-quality and very powerful – both aesthetically
and scientifically,” said Dr. Plumb. “One of
our first transmissions was in Pelican Valley with the sun
setting. A grizzly bear was feeding in the grass and you
could see it twitch its head listening for small animals.
The imagery, color, definition and zoom capacity gave us
incredible views.”
The construction of the Canon NU-700N allows it to withstand
the extreme heat and cold (operating temperature ambient
-15 degrees/+ 40 degrees Centigrade) of year-round outdoor
use in Yellowstone.
“It is designed to work in a variety of humidity
levels and temperatures,” noted Dr. Plumb. “Sometimes
it gets extremely cold and we expect to put it to the test.”
With the camera’s powerful 100X zoom capability and
the capacity for optical precision, Yellowstone researchers
have a new path toward “access without impact”
on the park’s wildlife population. The system’s
clear imagery and remote manageability is a significant
addition to the conventional methods for observing wildlife
behavior. It also provides them with valuable insight on
migration habits and population size.
“Before this technology, keeping track of wildlife
was traditionally done in two ways,” explained Dr.
Plumb. “One is direct observation, which involves
sending people to the field in all weather conditions to
see what the animals are doing. The other is the use of
radio telemetry in which battery-powered radio transmitter
collars are used to relocate animals, which is helpful for
tracking them but doesn’t tell us things like who’s
chasing whom, or who’s taking food away from whom.
“Now that we’ve introduced the Canon cameras,
we can take pictures and build composite views of the mountain
and valley. Merged with our other two baseline research
methods, there’s potential to collect a great deal
of new data and do it in a way that’s continuous and
without human bias.”
The Canon NU-700N is a complete turnkey system. It delivers
very high quality video, durability and outstanding support
to a wide range of remote applications that also includes
building exterior and warehouse monitoring, weather and
traffic surveillance, and outdoor security. The Canon
NU-700N combines a ¼-inch 3 CCD Canon video camera
with a smooth P/T/Z head, built-in 20X optical zoom lens
and 5X digital function for a powerful 100X zoom range,
all contained under a rugged outdoor housing with a rain
wiper.
When connected to Canon’s optional network-camera
server, the system can be connected to the Internet or a
Local Area Network via a non-proprietary protocol joystick
equipped control panel, or computer, enabling image acquisition
and the control of camera functions. Canon NU-700N users
confidently can monitor action anywhere with network access,
from down the block, across town, or half a world away.
“There are more people living in closer contact with
wildlife than any other time in the planet’s history,”
added Dr. Plumb. “Technology like the Canon NU-700N
has the exciting promise of allowing people to view and
understand information and imagery about real wildlife.
With this kind of personal contact, there’s true potential
to increase the support and preservation of our wildlife
systems.”
In addition to the high-end cameras used by scientists,
Yellowstone also has installed several Canon
VB-C10 pan/tilt/zoom cameras throughout the park for website
visitors. Anyone logging on at
http://www.nps.gov/yell/tours/livecams/mammoth/testcam.htm
can view the park’s conditions and wildlife.
“This is one of the best things that has been done
for the people [who] cannot be in the park all year long,”
wrote one friend of Yellowstone. “My wife and I check
out the [cameras] every time we go [online]. I know that
things like the video are expensive to run, but…people
like us get a chance to view the park all times of the year.”
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business,
and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed
as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and
is ranked #39 on the Business Week list of "Top 100
Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is
a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall
in the U.S. in 2003, with global revenues of $29.9 billion.
For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
# # #
All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective
owners.
EDITORS Please note corporate contact information for this
division:
For more information, please call Canon Broadcast and Communications
Division at 1-800-321-4388 or visit www.canonbroadcast.com.
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