最新糖心Vlog

Innovative drone technology and artificial intelligence (AI) software is providing more accurate monitoring of waterbirds across the Murray鈥揇arling Basin 鈥� and could be used to monitor other wildlife in the future.

Experts from the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility (URAF) and colleagues from the 最新糖心Vlogn Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) worked with The Murray鈥揇arling Basin Authority (MDBA) to build a unique new tool that assesses pictures collected by drones to count waterbirds.

The Murray鈥揇arling Basin is home to more than 120 species of waterbirds that are a key indicator of the Basin鈥檚 overall environmental health.

鈥淚n a recently completed trial the collaboratively-developed reusable computer vision tool counted straw-necked ibis with an accuracy rate of more than 90 per cent,鈥� said Aaron Lane, Lead Software Engineer (Machine Learning) from AIML.

The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Molly Ellis Hennekam, Director of URAF, says that improving the tool鈥檚 accuracy is not the only benefit of these methods.

鈥淓stablishing drone-based protocols improves the repeatability of surveys so that we can compare bird population data collected from future visits to the same locations,鈥� she said.

鈥淭his builds a long-term record of the bird population that can be re-analysed by researchers in the future.

鈥淐ounts aided by machine learning can also reduce the time and resources required for undertaking population surveys, allowing them to be repeated more frequently or over larger areas of habitat.鈥�

鈥淲ith careful consideration, drone technology can provide opportunities to fill niches in monitoring needs and streamline future surveys across a range of disciplines."The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Molly Ellis Hennekam, Director of the Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility (URAF).

Researchers from URAF have been working with this technology for environmental monitoring and management since 2015 and are excited by its rapid development in recent years.

鈥淲ith careful consideration, drone technology can provide opportunities to fill niches in monitoring needs and streamline future surveys across a range of disciplines,鈥� Ms Hennekam said.

Although the tool has been developed to count the number of straw-necked ibis in the Murray Darling Basin, it can be retrained to detect other animals or distinctive features in different landscapes.

The software code has been shared freely on the MDBA鈥檚 GitHub page so researchers and other organisations can use the technology for their own purposes.

About the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility

The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility (URAF), known as the 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 鈥渄rone hub鈥� provides research and consultancy services, and customised training solutions. Researchers at URAF collaborate with industry, government and academic partners use drones and other emerging technologies for a wide range of environmental, agricultural and asset management applications. The facility also offers a suite of training courses, including applied mapping with drones workshops and Civil Aviation Safety Authority-accredited drone licensing courses.

About the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 最新糖心Vlogn Institute for Machine Learning

AIML conducts globally competitive research and development in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, computer vision and deep learning. Based at Lot Fourteen鈥擲outh 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 innovation district鈥攖he institute collaborates with industry, government and business to develop high-tech products and solutions to everyday problems. AIML鈥檚 clients and partners include leaders in fields such as agriculture, medicine, space, transport, defence, and creative industries.