Hardware Podcasts

60. Wildlife Control & Observation Via UAVs

The Next Byte Podcast · 8 Mar 2022 · 24m

AI in practice: one real use of AI described

What this episode covers

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss two applications of UAV technology in biology: an autonomous drone system designed to deter pigeons from urban roofs using AI and computer vision, and a joint study by the University of Aberdeen and Duke University using drones to non-invasively track dolphin pregnancies. They explore the technical details of the pigeon deterrent, including its $1,200 cost, 96% reduction in habitation time, and reliance on a human-in-the-loop for safety. The conversation then shifts to the dolphin tracking methodology, highlighting how image analysis of body measurements allows researchers to identify individual dolphins and monitor population health without physical intervention.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Engineering & simulation

Researchers use image analysis on UAV footage to measure dolphin body widths and lengths to determine pregnancy status and track individual dolphins for population health monitoring.

“They do image analysis, where they take the length of the dolphin, and they almost break it up into different slices, and they take measurements of the different widths to see if a dolphin is pregnant or not. And then they're able to track the pregnancy as time goes on.”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 17:13

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Mouser Electronics, University of Aberdeen, Duke University

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