LepiSense

LepiSense features robust lighting to attract insects, a high-resolution camera, and high-capacity data storage. It is powered by a rechargeable battery and solar panel for extended field deployments, but also light-weight enough for frequent relocation. See how it can support your biodiversity monitoring, research, or conservation project.

• Preparation
• Materials
• Tools
• Steps
• Data access
• Maintenance

Preparation

1. Pre-charge the batteries. For this, simply connect the solar panel to the power module and leave the panel in the sun for 1-2 days. Do not connect the camera module at this point.
2. Package everything carefully to avoid damage during transport.

Materials

• LepiSense, including battery box and solar panel.
• 1-2 cable ties for battery box.
• Wooden pole, 5 cm diameter, ~80 cm height. (~30 cm in the ground and ~50 cm above the ground. Adjust according to soil type and vegetation height.) See Mounting Options for alternatives, including using a ground spike.
• If needed, weed-control matting.
• If needed, ~6 ground hooks for matting.

Tools

• Post driver (or other heavy tool; only needed if ground spike is not used).
• Compass (e.g., your phone).
• (Cordless) screwdriver.
• Saw (if cutting post in the field).

Steps

1. Drive the pole into the ground or use the ground spike.
2. If necessary, use the saw to cut the pole at 50 cm (or less) above ground, depending on vegetation height.
3. Lift the solar panel to the top of the pole.
4. Push the solar panel down such that the “cable” ties surround the pole. The top of the solar panel must not be above the top of the pole.
5. Use a compass or a map to determine where south is.
6. Orient the solar panel south. (Exactly south, not south-west or south-east.)
7. Use the cordless screwdriver to tighten both “cable” ties of the solar panel.
8. Pick-up a LepiSense. And remove all packaging and protective films.
9. Place the LepiSense on top of the pole, with the four holes in the bar matching the top of the pole. Orient the LepiSense in a way such that the landing board is not directly above the solar panel.
10. Use the screwdriver to drive 2-4 screws though the holes into the pole or use the plastic cap for mounting.
11. Place the battery box at the pole such that it is shaded by the solar panel.
12. Tighten the two cable ties of the battery box.
13. Slide the camera housing onto the open end of the bar opposite of the landing board. If desired, secure it with a bolt.
14. Optionally, check the device ID printed on the sticker on the camera housing (behind dev:) and note down the deployment location.
15. Plug the solar panel into the middle outlet of the battery box. Slightly tighten the screw ring.
16. Plug the camera into the remaining outer outlet of the battery box. Slightly tighten the screw ring.
17. Check the two LEDs on the front-right of the camera board (some devices also have LEDs on the centre, ignore these.) The red LED should light up for 1-5 minutes. Afterwards, both, the attractive light and the ring light should flash. Finally, the green/yellow LED should flash five times before the red LED turns off. If any of these patterns do not occur, follow the steps below:
    • The red LED does not light up. Power is not connected. Check the connection to the battery box.
    • The red LED stays permanently on, becoming darker and brighter (“breathing” pattern). Error when connecting power. Reconnect camera to battery box.
    • The red LED stays on for several minutes without change in brightness. No cellular connectivity. Assemble the LepiSense at a location with cellular connectivity and deploy the pre-assembled device. Make a note for that one that it may not have connectivity.
    • The red LED flashes five times. Error. Remove and re-insert microSD card, disconnect and reconnect camera and battery. If error persists, contact tech support.
    • The ring light does not flash. Error. Contact tech support.
    • The attractive light does not flash. Attractive light may not be connected. Check its connection to the battery box.

Data access

Pictures are stored on the microSD card inside the camera housing. To access the data:

1. Unplug the rubber plug.
2. Push against the microSD card to release it. (You should hear a click.)
3. Carefully pull out the microSD card. (You may need the plastic tweezers provided.)

Maintenance

We recommend maintenance visits every 1-3 months, depending on the deployment environment, to carry out the following steps:

1. Visually check for any obvious damage.
2. Wipe the solar panel to remove any dirt and leaves.
3. Check for overgrowth and cut vegetation back, if necessary.
4. Visually check the camera lens and wipe any dirt from the lens, if necessary.
5. Pull out the rubber plug, remove the microSD card, and check recent pictures.

Mounting a LepiSense.

Wooden Stake

Materials: Wooden stake with about 5 cm diameter and about 80 cm height (about 30 cm under ground and 30-50 cm above ground) sourced by the trialist and 2-4 screws provided by UKCEH.

Tools: Post driver (or other heavy tool) and (cordless) screw driver.

Pros: Durable and low-cost.

Cons: Bulky stakes, tools required, and force required on hard soil.

Soil/Ground Spike + Pole

Materials: Soil/ground/parasol spike with about 5 cm inner diameter sourced by trialist, PVC pipe or wooden pole with about 5 cm diameter and 30-80 cm height sourced by the trialist, and 2-4 screws or plastic mounting cup provided by UKCEH (plastic cup upon request).

Tools: (Cordless) screw driver if screws are used, none if plastic mounting cup is used.

Pros: Durable and no/little tools required.

Cons: More expensive and some force required on hard soil.

Cross-Shaped Foot + Pole

Materials: Cross-shaped acrylic foot provided by UKCEH (upon request), PVC pipe or wooden pole with about 5 cm diameter and 30-50 cm height sourced by the trialist, 2-5 screws and/or 1-2 mounting cups provided by UKCEH (plastic cup upon request), and up to 4 ground hooks sourced by the trialist.

Tools: (Cordless) screw driver if screws are used, none if only plastic mounting cups are used.

Pros: No/little tools required, very quick setup, highly portable, and low cost.

Cons: Less stable, does not support long poles, and force required on very hard soil.

Post Mount

Materials: Post mount sourced by trialists, existing post or straps for tree mounting, and about 2 bolts and nuts sourced by trialist.

Tools: Spanners and screw driver.

Pros: Highly portable if used with existing pole/tree, durable, and independent off soil hardness.

Cons: Tools required, existing pole/tree required, more expensive, not tested by UKCEH, and tree canopy can shade solar panel.

General Terms

Parties: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology ("We/Us") and the participating organisation/individual named as the Customer ("You").

The following terms and conditions set out the terms under which We will make the Device (the "Device" being, the LepiSense Trial Unit; A Portable camera device equipped with lithium-ion battery pack, solar panel, UV light module, and integrated modem for wireless communication) available to You.

1) Purpose, Scope & Restrictions

The Device is provided for testing, evaluation, and feedback only.

The Device can be used by You for internal purposes only and NOT for the development of competing products.

Cost-recovery fees (materials/labour) may apply but do not constitute a commercial sale.

2) Term & Deployment

You will deploy and operate the Device per the Deployment Manual and Safety section on this page.

We may provide firmware updates and updated instructions during the trial period.

3) Duties of Care

You must operate the Device as instructed; DO NOT open or bypass safety features. A user manual is provided with the Device. This user manual can also be found on this website.

4) Data Use

You may use collected data for research, internal evaluation, or reporting. When publishing or sharing externally, you must state the device is a trial/evaluation unit.

Do not use data to sell this Device.

We may process anonymised/aggregated telemetry (e.g., health/status) to improve safety and performance, in line with our Privacy & Data Use section.

5) Incident Reporting

You will report any safety incident, malfunction, or near-miss via the Support forum or email on this website.

In case of unsafe behaviour, immediately power down the device and suspend use until we advise.

6) Permitted & Strictly Prohibited Uses

Permitted: field trials, internal evaluations, and research under appropriate oversight.

Strictly Prohibited: medical use, human/animal exposure beyond stated safety guidance, reverse engineering, resale or transfer without consent.

Freedom to use/modify. You may use, integrate, test, and modify the Device as you see fit, provided you:

• adhere to the Safety and Deployment guidance provided with the Device and published on the website (and any updates we issue). You will be notified by email regarding any updates.
• operate within applicable laws/regulations, and
• clearly disclose in any public use or reporting that the device is a trial/evaluation unit.

7) Ownership of Device, Price & Returns

Ownership

Upon delivery and any agreed cost-recovery payment of the Price, title in the Device passes to you. This transfer is made expressly for trial/evaluation purposes and does not constitute marketing or sale.

Where the Device is supplied for export from the United Kingdom, both parties shall comply with all relevant laws including, without limitation, all UK export and anti-corruption laws and regulations.

No resale as a finished product: You must not market, brand, or present the Device as a commercial product, nor use our name/safety claims to imply certification or validation. Redistribution for evaluation within your organisation or research consortium is acceptable if this trial/evaluation status and safety obligations are passed on in writing.

Right to safety recall / advisory: If We identify a safety issue, We may issue a safety advisory or recall request. You agree to cooperate in good faith (e.g., apply a firmware fix, install a hardware mitigation, or temporarily cease use in a specific mode).

Returns

No mandatory return at end of trial. There is no obligation to return the Device at trial end. If you no longer wish to use it, You will decommission it per the Deployment Manual and dispose/recycle responsibly.

Price

You will pay the Price to us in accordance with these terms.

The Price is inclusive of packaging costs and delivery except where otherwise expressed by Us at the time the order is placed by You.

We are entitled to invoice you for the Price plus VAT at the prevailing rate (if applicable) on signature of this Trial Agreement.

Each invoice will be payable by you within 30 days following the date on which the invoice is issued. You will make all payments in pounds sterling in available cleared funds by electronic transfer to the following bank account or such other bank account as we may notify to you in writing from time to time.

8) Intellectual Property

We own the Intellectual Property Rights in the Device.

For the avoidance of doubt Intellectual Property Rights shall mean:

"intellectual property of any description including but not limited to all inventions, designs, information, specifications, formulae, improvements, discoveries, know-how, data, processes, methods, techniques and the intellectual property rights therein, including but not limited to, patents, copyrights, database rights, design rights (registered and unregistered), trademarks, trade names and service marks, applications for any of the above."

You are strictly prohibited from creating derivative works based on the Device.

Any Intellectual Property Rights associated with the improvement or modification of the Device made by You, shall be owned by Us.

You shall not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the design, structure, or functionality of the Device, whether in whole or in part. This shall apply despite transfer of ownership of the physical Device to You.

Data collected by You through operation of the Device (images) is owned by You.

The provisions in this Clause 8 shall survive termination or expiry of the agreement indefinitely.

9) Limited Warranty (12 Months)

We warrant that the Device will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 12 months from delivery.

Remedy: at our option, repair, replace, or provide functionally equivalent equipment.

Exclusions: damage from misuse, unauthorised modification, improper installation, operation outside specified limits, accidents, or environmental factors beyond spec; normal wear and consumables (e.g., optical surfaces) and normal battery capacity fade are not covered.

10) Support

Support channels and response windows are listed in the Support section of the website.

Critical safety issues receive priority handling. You agree to provide logs, photos, and reasonable access to diagnose issues.

11) Termination

We may terminate this Trial Agreement by giving not less than 7 days' written notice to that effect to You if you fail to make any payment due to Us under the Trial Agreement within 7 days after the due date.

Without affecting any other right or remedy available to it, either party may terminate this agreement with immediate effect by giving written notice to the other party if:

• (a) the other party commits a material breach of any term of the agreement and (if such a breach is remediable) fails to remedy that breach within a period of 7 days after being notified in writing to do so;
• (b) the other party suspends, or threatens to suspend, or ceases or threatens to cease to carry on all or a substantial part of its business; or
• (c) the other party's financial position deteriorates so far as to reasonably justify the opinion that its ability to give effect to the terms of this agreement is in jeopardy.

Termination of the Trial Agreement, however arising, shall not affect any of the parties' rights and remedies that have accrued as at termination, including the right to claim damages in respect of any breach of this Trial Agreement which existed at or before the date of termination.

Any provision of the agreement that expressly or by implication is intended to come into or continue in force on or after termination shall remain in full force and effect.

We may terminate this Trial Agreement with immediate effect by notice and without compensation or liability to You where You have failed or not completed UKCEH due diligence checks.

12) Liability & Insurance

Save for the limited warranty under clause 9, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology gives no warranty, representation or undertaking that the Device is of satisfactory quality or fit for any particular use or purpose or that it is free from error.

We maintain appropriate liability insurance for trial deployments.; You agree to operate under your site's safety policies and to keep required records.

You shall indemnify Us against all claims, causes of action, suits, damages or demands, arising out of any use you make of the Device and against any breach by You of clauses 8 or 13 of this Trial Agreement.

We shall indemnify You against:

• All liability relating to any Intellectual Property Right claim made by a third party in relation to the Devices.
• Any claims made against You from a third party relating to a fault, defect or harm caused by the Device which has arisen as the result of Our failure to meet the terms of this Trail Agreement.
• Any claim made against You from a third party relating to a fault, defect or harm caused by the Device which has arisen as a direct result of Our failure to meet the applicable standards of the Device as required by relevant laws and regulatory requirements.

In the event of such claims (as above), You shall

• notify Us in writing within three business days
• provide Us with reasonable assistance with all relevant information to enable Us to respond and deal with the matters relating to the claim
• make no admission of fault

the indemnities above shall not apply where You have modified the Device or used the Device in such a way not approved by Us under this Trail Agreement.

Our maximum total aggregate liability to You under or otherwise in connection with this Trail Agreement or its subject-matter, whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, under any indemnity or otherwise, shall not exceed £50,000.

Our liability to You for any breach of this Trial Agreement or arising in any other way out of the subject-matter of this Trial Agreement, whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, will not extend to indirect or consequential losses including (i) any incidental or consequential damages or losses; or (ii) any loss of profits whether direct or indirect, loss of data, loss of contracts or opportunity

Nothing limits Our liability to You for:

• (a) death or personal injury caused by its negligence, or the negligence of its employees, agents or subcontractors (as applicable);
• (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• (c) breach of the terms implied by section 12 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended); or
• (d) any matter in respect of which it would be unlawful for Us to exclude or restrict liability.

13) Confidentiality

You are prohibited from disclosing or using any Confidential Information surrounding the device.

For the avoidance of doubt 'Confidential Information' shall mean any information or data including, but not limited to, business, commercial, technical, operational, management, financial and sales data (both historical and current), performance data, ideas, reports, plans, passwords, documents, drawings, graphics, designs, methods, processes, systems, software programs, writings, samples, models, materials, databases, know-how, Intellectual Property Rights and information relating to products, marketing activities, customers, and working practices or otherwise disclosed in any form whatsoever (including, but not limited to, disclosure made orally or in writing, whether electronic, digital or other formats and whether or not in readable media) by one Party (the "Disclosing Party") to the other (the "Receiving Party") in connection with or as a consequence of the Device or the trial and irrespective of whether such information is marked as confidential.

For the avoidance of doubt, Confidential Information shall include in respect of the Device, the internal components, design, functionality including technical know-how and trade secrets and includes information derived from direct and indirect methods of obtaining such information (e.g., disassembly, testing).

The obligations of confidentiality shall continue indefinitely.

14) Compliance & Notices

Device status must be clearly disclosed wherever results of the Device (e.g images) are shared: using the term "Trial/Evaluation Unit".

If regulators request information, notify us promptly and provide reasonable cooperation.

15) Privacy

Data handling, retention, and participant information are governed by the Privacy & Data Use (Trial) section. You confirm you have authority/consent for the deployment context.

16) General

This agreement is governed by the laws of England & Wales, and the courts of England & Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.

This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.

Each party acknowledges that in entering into this agreement it does not rely on any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (whether made innocently or negligently) that is not set out in this agreement. Each party agrees that it has no claim for innocent or negligent misrepresentation [or negligent misstatement] based on any statement in this agreement. This constitutes the entire agreement for the trial; changes must be in writing and signed by both parties.

If any term is unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect.

17) Survival Clause

Clauses 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 13, 14 survive termination or expiry of the agreement.

Need help? Use the channel that matches your status. For urgent safety issues, see Incident Reporting below.

Incident Reporting (Safety / Urgent)

If you encounter any safety issue or near-miss, please:

1. Power down the device and suspend use in the affected configuration.
2. Either email a brief report to tomaug@ceh.ac.uk with the subject “Safety Incident”.
3. Include: device ID, location, firmware version, what happened, when it happened, and any photos/logs.
4. Or create a post on the forum so others can track mitigation guidance: forum.

Response Expectations

• Safety incidents: prioritised; we aim to acknowledge rapidly and share interim guidance.
• Forum questions: community and maintainers respond as availability allows.

Preparing a Good Support Request

                Summary:
                Environment (location, conditions):
                Device ID / Serial:
                Firmware version:
                Steps to reproduce:
                Expected result:
                Actual result:
                Logs / photos / videos (links):
                Safety impact (if any):
                  

Note: Devices are supplied as trial/evaluation units. Always follow the Safety and Deployment guidance on this page.

This section explains how we (the manufacturer) handle personal data and device data during the trial. We comply with UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).

1) What we collect

• Telemetry (device status/health): non-content diagnostics such as device ID, firmware version, uptime, basic health/alerts, error codes, battery/solar status, and update success/failure.
• Support communications: information you choose to share by email or on the forum (e.g., logs, screenshots, photos).
• Administrative details: contact information for trial coordination (name, org, email, role) and records required for duty of care (e.g., that risk assessments were completed).

We do not collect or view your user-generated content (e.g., images, recordings, measurements) unless you voluntarily provide samples for support. Your collected data stays on your infrastructure/devices under your control.

2) How we use data & lawful basis

• Operate and support the trial (set-up, updates, safety notices, incident response) — legitimate interests and/or contract.
• Safety & reliability (diagnostics, fixes, quality improvements) — legitimate interests.
• Compliance (records to satisfy duty of care/insurance) — legal obligation / legitimate interests.
• Optional updates/announcements — only with your consent (you can opt out).

3) Sharing & disclosure

• We do not sell data and we do not disclose telemetry to third parties except:
  • Trusted service providers (e.g., hosting, email) under contract, with appropriate safeguards.
  • Where required by law or to protect safety.
• Forum posts are public: technical support occurs on a public GitHub repository. Anything you post there (including logs/screenshots) is visible to others and subject to GitHub’s own policies.

4) Retention

• Telemetry and support records are kept only as long as needed for the trial, safety, and compliance; typically one week after the trial ends, then deleted or anonymised.
• Incident reports and safety-critical records may be retained longer where required by law or insurance.

5) Security

• We use appropriate technical and organisational measures (access controls, encryption in transit, least-privilege admin, audit logs) to protect data we process.
• You remain responsible for security of any data stored on your systems or posted publicly to the forum.

6) International transfers

If we use service providers outside the UK, we implement approved safeguards (e.g., UK Addendum to SCCs or other recognised mechanisms).

7) Your rights

Under UK GDPR you may have rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, and data portability. To exercise rights, contact us using the details below.

8) Contact

• Data controller: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
• Privacy contact / DPO: tomaug@ceh.ac.uk

9) Website & cookies

This page is a simple static site and does not set cookies. The GitHub forum may set its own cookies per GitHub’s policy.

10) Changes to this notice

We may update this section if our processing changes. Material changes will be highlighted here with an effective date.

Summary: we can see device status/health for safety and support. We won’t access your collected content unless you share it for support. We keep records required for duty of care and UK compliance, and we do not disclose telemetry publicly.

Trial units are supplied on a cost-recovery basis (materials & labour).

Payment & Delivery Schedule

All times UK (Europe/London). “Dispatch” is the date we hand over to the carrier.

🦺 General Safety

• Read all instructions before operating the device.
• Use the camera only as described in the manual. Any other use may result in damage or injury.
• This device is not a toy. Keep out of reach of children.

🔋 Battery Safety

• Do not expose the battery pack to temperatures below -20°C or exceeding 60°C.
• Do not expose the battery pack to open flame.
• Do not charge the battery pack at temperatures below 0°C or exceeding 45°C.
• Do not puncture, crush, or incinerate the battery pack.
• Do not short-circuit the battery pack terminals.
• Use only the supplied or manufacturer-approved solar panel with the battery pack.
• Do not disassemble or modify the battery pack.
• Improper handling may cause fire, explosion, or chemical burn.
• Store at room temperature in a dry environment.
• Do not store the device fully charged or fully discharged for long periods.
• Recycle batteries according to local regulations. Do not dispose of in household waste.

💡 UV Light Safety

• UV light can damage skin and eyes if improperly used.
• Do not stare directly at the UV light when activated.
• Avoid exposing skin to the UV light for prolonged periods.
• Use appropriate UV-rated protective eyewear when handling the device with the UV light turned on.
• Operate UV light in accordance with intended purpose only (attracting nocturnal insects).

🌡️ Environmental Warnings

• Operate between -20°C and 60°C (between 0°C and 45°C if the solar panel is attached and exposed to sunlight). Extreme heat or cold may damage components.
• Not fully waterproof. Avoid immersion in water.
• Avoid dropping or subjecting the device to mechanical shocks.

⚙️ Usage Warnings

• Ensure stable mounting. Do not place the device in unstable positions.
• Do not cover the heatsink. Allow adequate airflow during use.
• Do not put stress on the cables. Ensure cables are properly routed to avoid strain on connectors.

🛠️ Maintenance and Cleaning

• Use a soft, dry cloth. Do not use solvents or aerosol cleaners.
• Do not attempt to open the device. Unauthorized servicing voids warranty and may pose safety risks.
• Recharge a fully discharged battery pack first before resuming operation. For this, connect solar panel, but disable or disconnect camera module.

⚠️ Legal Disclaimers

• The manufacturer is not responsible for damage or injury caused by misuse, modification, or failure to follow safety instructions.

📘 Emergency Guidance

• Disconnect an overheated battery pack and do not put back in use.
• In case of battery fire, use Class D (metal) or specialised lithium-ion extinguisher only.

There are several tools available for labelling your images, and for using AI to automate the detection and classification of insects. We do not provide this software ourselves but here are a few options that are currently available. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and will certainly be incomplete.

For reviewing and labelling your images

• LabelImg - A generic tool for image labelling.
• MothBot - A specific tool aimed at insect camera traps.

AI tools/workflows

• Antenna - A platform for hosting your images and running AI algorithms, specialised in insect camera trap images.
• Flat-bug - A generic insect detection (segmentation) algorithm for insect cameras.
• MCC24 - Code designed for insect camera traps and includes detection and tracking. Also includes species and order level classifiers.
• insectTracking - Code designed for insect camera traps and includes detection and tracking.
• AMI-system - Code for training your own classifier and some pre-trained models.