BioDiMoBot Winter Workshop, Millstatt (Austria)

At the beginning of February, the BioDiMoBot teams from the University of Graz (UNIGRAZ) and the Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf) met at Lake Millstatt for a focused winter field workshop. Bringing together expertise in aquatic ecology, robotics, and site management, the workshop combined hands-on field testing with strategic planning.

The main goal was to test core hardware components under real winter conditions. In particular, we evaluated our novel acoustic sensing system and stereoscopic optical setups in cold-water environments. Low temperatures, reduced light levels, and limited biological activity offered a challenging but highly informative test scenario for the system.

Beyond technical validation, we collected baseline data on the lake ecosystem in its “winter mode” – a period characterized by reduced activity and slower ecological processes. These measurements are highly valuable for understanding seasonal dynamics and for calibrating long-term biodiversity monitoring. A further key objective was the planning and preparation of experimental series for the coming spring, summer, and autumn campaigns. Based on the winter results, the teams discussed refined measurement protocols, extended test scenarios, and coordinated field logistics for the next phases.

The workshop was very successful. It provided important technical insights for further hardware improvements and yielded a valuable dataset from a lake in its winter resting phase.