---
title: In-field evaluation and behavioral analysis of a drawing-based penguin observation system
tags:  #penguin #ペンギン #field study #drawing #identification #aquarium #zoo #observation  
author: [Nakamura Laboratory (Meiji University)](https://www.docswell.com/user/nkmr-lab)
site: [Docswell](https://www.docswell.com/)
thumbnail: https://bcdn.docswell.com/page/PJR9V8PZ79.jpg?width=480
description: Penguins in aquariums and zoos are typically exhibited in groups of several dozen individuals, making it challenging for visitors to notice and observe them as distinct individuals. This study examines how drawing-based individual identification can transform passive aquarium viewing into a playful, comparative, and socially shared observation experience. Previous field studies with general aquarium visitors indicated that the system encouraged closer attention to individual penguins and stimulated social interaction. However, these findings relied mainly on qualitative behavioral observations, leaving visitors’ interaction patterns insufficiently quantified. We conducted a one-week field deployment of the system in a real aquarium and combined interaction logs with behavioral observation notes to analyze how visitors drew patterns, compared retrieved candidates, shared devices, and returned to the system. By analyzing interaction logs collected during the field deployment, we reveal behavioral patterns such as same-day repeat access and multi-day access. These results provide behavioral indicators that drawing-based interaction can support revisitable and socially shared engagement with individual animals, demonstrating its potential as an entertainment-oriented approach to enriching zoo and aquarium experiences.
published: October 07, 26
canonical: https://www.docswell.com/s/nkmr-lab/ZGN47X-2026-10-07-182441
---
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In-field evaluation and behavioral
analysis of a drawing-based penguin
observation system
Yuki Nakagawa, Meiji University
Satoshi Nakamura, Meiji University


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Background
Leisure
Zoos
&
Education
Aquariums
Research
Conservation
Zoos and aquariums provide not only leisure, but also opportunities
for learning and conservation.
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Background
Zoos and aquariums as entertainment contexts
Living
Animals
×
×
Attention
×
Interpretation
Social
Interaction
Experiential Entertainment
3


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Background
• Previous work suggests that identifying
individual animals increases empathy
and conservation awareness.
[Smith+ 2024]
• Visitors tend to observe the group as a
whole, with limited attention to
individual characteristics and behaviors.
Smith, P., Mann, J. and Marsh, A.: Empathy for wildlife: The importance of the individual, Ambio, Vol. 53, No. 9, pp. 1269–1280 (2024).
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Background
• Most zoos and aquariums identified individuals using flipper bands.
Name-tagged bands
Color-coded bands
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Background
• Some zoos and aquariums displayed information about individual.
Individual penguin list
Penguin relationship diagram
(SEA LIFE Sydney)
（Kakegawa Kachouen）
6


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Method
Drawing an abdominal pattern.
×
Retrieve the name from the drawing.
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System Design
Draw the penguin’s spot pattern.
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System Design
The system retrieves and ranks
candidate penguins by similarity.
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System Design
Tap a penguin to view its profile
information.
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System Design
Can’t see the right side!
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System Design
Mark invisible areas
Can’t see the right side!
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Catalog
Album
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Previous Studies
Controlled Study
[AVI 2024]
Field Study
[CHI 2026]
Drawing-based observation:
In a aquarium, the system encouraged:
• Increased interest in individual
penguins
• Individual-focused observation
• Influenced recognition & memory
of individual characteristics
• Longer dwell time at the exhibit
• Communication among companions
Previous evaluations relied mainly on behavioral observations,
making it difficult to understand how visitors' drawing-based interactions
actually unfolded in the field.
Nakagawa & Nakamura, AVI 2024 — Drawing-type Search Method Focusing on Penguin’s Abdominal Patterns
Nakagawa & Nakamura, CHI 2026 — Drawing Attention: A Field Study of Sketch-Based Penguin Identification
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Research Questions
How do visitors engage with drawing-based individual identification
RQ1:
as a playful observation activity in an aquarium setting?
How does drawing-based interaction support comparative and
RQ2:
socially shared observation of individual penguins?
RQ3:
What behavioral indicators suggest that the experience becomes
revisitable within and beyond the immediate exhibit encounter?
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Field Study
• We conducted a field study at Sunshine Aquarium (Tokyo).
• 7days: Oct 9–15, 2025
• 47 African penguins
• Logs + behavioral observations
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Findings — Usage and Drawing Behavior
340
8.8s
5.24
browser-level
users
median
drawing time
strokes
/drawing
Visitors could engage with the system through lightweight sketching.
18


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Findings — Candidate Comparison
Rank of the selected candidate (n = 76 identifications)
25
32.9%
chose the top-1
88
44
4
1
1
6
22
1
11
1112
11
16
112
1
21
26
31
1
36
1
1
2
53.9%
chose the top-3
41
Visitors did not always simply accept the top result,
but explored and compared multiple candidates.
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Findings — Shared and Repeated Use
Repeated Access
• 122 users (35.9%) accessed the system multiple times within the same day.
• 23 users (6.8%) accessed the system across multiple days.
Collaborative Use
• Visitors often shared one smartphone.
• Family members drew and checked results together.
• Companions took turns drawing or used photos taken by others as references.
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Findings — Revisiting Individual Information
• 78.3% of multi-day users accessed the catalog,
compared with 28.1% of other users.
• Multi-day users also viewed the catalog
significantly more often.
Repeated use was associated with
returning to individual penguin information.
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Discussion — From Identification to Observational Play
Low-effort engagement
- Visitors could start by drawing only the features they could see.
Exploratory comparison
- Multiple ranked candidates encouraged visitors to keep looking and comparing.
Socially shared observation
- Drawing made observed features visible and discussable among companions.
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Discussion — From Identification to Observational Play
Not longer sessions, but repeated returns
- Visitors returned through short, repeated access over time.
Returning to individual information
- Multi-day users were much more likely to revisit the catalog.
Beyond the immediate exhibit
- The system became a resource that visitors could return to after the initial
interaction.
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Design Implications
Support observation, not only identification accuracy
Allow partial and uncertain observations
Support revisiting beyond the immediate exhibit experience
Design for shared use in public spaces
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Limitations & Future work
• Limited generalizability: Single aquarium, one species, and a one-week
deployment
→ Longer-term and multi-site studies with other species
• Indirect measurement of engagement: Attention, learning, and internal
engagement were not directly measured
→ Combine logs with questionnaires, interviews, and behavioral measures
• User identification and self-selection: Browser-level IDs may not
represent unique visitors, and participation was voluntary
→ Improve participant tracking and examine broader visitor populations
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Thank you for listening.
Paper
Portfolio
LinkedIn
Contact :
Yuki Nakagawa
nakagawa@nkmr-lab.org