Patrick Chwalek | Wildlife Technology Researcher & Consultant

Featured Projects

Wildlife tracking, acoustic monitoring, and wearable sensing.

CollarID

Following animals and the environments they experience, with a collar that brings GPS, acoustic, motion, and environmental sensing together.

My work · Hardware, firmware, telemetry & cloud

Deployed on livestock and wildlife across three continents.

Acoustic monitoring

BuzzCam

Listening for native and invasive bees with a custom, solar-powered acoustic platform and tools for annotating observations in the field.

My work · Sensor platform & field tools

A published dataset from 12 locations in Patagonia.

Wearable sensing

AirSpecs

Measuring the environment from the wearer’s perspective. Smart eyeglasses connect environmental and physiological sensing with everyday life.

My work · System design, manufacturing & companion apps

30 study participants across Boston, Fribourg & Singapore.

All projects

Patrick deploying acoustic sensors in the Arctic landscape of Svalbard — Acoustic sensor deployment in Svalbard, Arctic Circle.

Background

I work across electronics, embedded software, and mechanical design. I enjoy the whole process: shaping an idea, building a prototype, working with manufacturers, and putting the system to work outdoors.

My background spans mechanical engineering (BS), computer science (MS), and a Ph.D. in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab. I’ve worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Gridware, the National Geographic Society’s Exploration Technology Lab, and UTC Aerospace.

Since 2022, I’ve collaborated with National Geographic Explorers on sensing technologies for remote environments, from Arctic bird habitats to bee populations in Patagonia.