Research labs
Running arrays of recorders for birds, amphibians or soundscapes, and analyzing with BirdNET, Raven or OpenSoundscape.
Pilot programOpen now
Help shape our first wildlife audio recorder.
Tell us what slows you down in the field and what your current equipment is missing. Pilot partners test prototypes alongside the recorders they already trust, and help decide what ships.
Pilot at a glanceNov 2026
- Stage
- Design and early prototypes
- Looking for
- Labs, consultants, land managers, naturalists
- Commitment
- Feedback now, field trials when units are ready
- Cost to join
- None
- Timing
- Set with partners as prototypes are built
Who we’re looking for
People who already record, and people who want to.
The most useful partners run real projects with real constraints. A mix of habitats, species and team sizes helps us build something that holds up everywhere.
Survey consultants
Deploying units for permits and compliance, where a failed recorder means a repeat site visit.
Land managers
Conservation groups and agencies tracking species on managed land, often with volunteers.
Naturalists
Curious landowners and birders who want to know what’s calling on their land at night.
How it works
A fair trade of time and hardware.
We want honest comparisons with the equipment you use today, including where our prototypes fall short.
What pilot partners get
- Prototype units for side-by-side field trials
- A direct line to the people designing the hardware and software
- A say in features, mounting, file handling and setup before they’re final
- Early access when production units are ready
- Credit in our field notes, if you’d like it
What we ask
- A short call or written answers about your current workflow
- Run prototypes next to your existing recorders where you can
- Share sample recordings and notes on setup, battery and card use
- Tell us what broke, what annoyed you and what you’d change
- Return or report on units at the end of a trial
Where we are
From conversations to a recorder you can buy.
Timing is set with partners as prototypes are built. We’ll publish dates when we can stand behind them.
Now
Design input
Interviews and written feedback on what current recorders and software are missing.
Next
Prototypes
First units built around that feedback, tested on the bench and in our own sites.
Then
Field pilot
Prototypes deployed with partners, side by side with established recorders.
Later
First production
Production units, published specifications and pricing, pilot partners first.
Apply
Join the pilot.
A few minutes is enough. The most useful answer is the last one: what your current equipment is missing.
Rather talk first? Send us a note and we’ll set up a short call.