Swift Cameras help monitor NSW coastline
Managing Australia’s extensive coastline just got a whole lot easier, thanks to a clever network of remote, stand-alone Swift Enduro 4G cameras and smart machine learning algorithms.
Developed by the University of New South Wales Senior Coastal Engineer Chris Drummond, WRL BeachStat collects data from a continuous stream of time-lapse photos taken by an automated camera system.
The images are computer analysed to determine the number of people on the beach at any given time as well as monitor moving shorelines.
“We can see peak visiting times and which parts of the beach people are using, along with watching how these areas respond to large coastal storms,” Chris said.
This long-term, continuous data provides insights into the value of beaches to the community, as well as improving our understanding about how our coastlines change due to storms and climate change.
A key element to the success of the project was finding the right camera – it needed to be easy to use and install but also cost effective.
“In the past we have used cameras worth thousands of dollars, but they tend to be difficult to operate and generally give us more information than we need. And because we need to install so many, they’ve just been too expensive for most council projects,” Chris said.
The Swift Enduro 4G proved to be the perfect match – economical, reliable and allowing for flexible installation with no need for power or an internet connection. It can also be equipped with a Swift solar panel to ensure continual power.
WRL BeachStat collects data from a continuous stream of time-lapse photos.
Swift Enduro cameras are mounted on existing beach infrastructure.
“Our new system is completely self-contained and can be easily installed on existing beach infrastructure such as on lifeguard towers,” Chris said.
The project is proving to be a game-changer for local councils, who can now access an unprecedented amount of data about their coastal zones.
“We have a lot of councils now using it to help make decisions about how to manage their coastline,” Chris said.
“We’ve captured invaluable data about beach erosion caused by huge storms in 2020 and even saw a group of people digging out a coastal lagoon without permission.”
During the recent storms in NSW, Councils used the system to monitor rising flood waters within several coastal lagoons to determine when to open the entrances to the ocean to reduce flooding of houses.
Chris said the real value of the Swift Enduro 4G cameras was the ability to install so many of them over a large area.
“As a coastal engineer I use many different tools to collect information about beaches that are useful but difficult to communicate to the general public. A picture tells a thousand words and the imagery provided by the Enduro cameras is such a powerful tool as it allows us to see what’s happening on the ground. The time lapse videos are such a great visual to communicate to the community just how dynamic our coastline can be.”
You can view a public dashboard for BeachStat, covering critical locations of the NSW Central Coast, including areas of coastal erosion and several lagoon entrances.
A time lapse video of Terrigal Beach illustrates the dynamic movement of our coastlines.
Outdoor Cameras Australia trail cameras monitoring beaches and lagoons along the NSW coast – mounted on trees, poles or existing beach infrastructure.
A snapshot of the BeachStat public dashboard which allows easy viewing of photos, videos and shoreline analysis in key areas.
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