Facial recognition tech to be used on...koalas?
Not your typical facial recognition case study. Researchers in Australia are launching a study that will use facial recognition technology to better monitor koala behavior and ultimately aid in their conservation.
A research team from Griffith University is attempting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize individual mammals when they use wildlife road crossings in Queensland state Australia.
The underground pathways and bridges are installed at busy roads near koala habitats to offer them a safer route away from cars.
Associate professor Jun Zhou, who is leading the pilot study, said they hoped facial recognition AI would end the need for manual camera checks to determine which species were using the crossings.
Researchers have previously also used identification tags and GPS to track koalas.
Griffith University said the team will work with conservation groups on training AI to distinguish between individual animals based on their appearance and movements.
The researchers hope that the data will offer an understanding of how koalas use the wildlife crossings and if the crossings could be better located to protect the animals from getting injured by cars.
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