Visual recognition software used in Penguin Recognition Project
A new recognition system developed by the University of Bristol is helping researchers to study African penguins without tagging them. The system has a 98 percent success rate in individually identifying 20,000 penguins over the course of a month. The technology could even be expanded to observe other endangered species.
Cameras that are set up around the penguin colony take time-stamped images of them. This feed is then forwarded to a locally connected laptop that uses the visual recognition software to identify the birds. It focuses on the patterns of spots along their chest, a unique biometrical identifier, to recognize each bird.
The information is then transferred over WiFi to their servers, which compare the information to results stored in the population database. As a result, each penguin can be identified at a certain time and location in real-time.
The system makes observing penguins in their natural habitat much easier, without having any interaction between the researchers and birds. I’m sure Professor Peter Barham of Bristol University is happy about that.
These penguins are vicious, nasty things that bite and scratch. They have very sharp beaks. I do love them but, by God, they can hurt….Its no fun trying to get tags on them.
Dr. Barham hopes to use this technology to answer several questions about penguins. He believes that it will provide insight to how long their average lifespan is, their natural habits, and how they are affected by climate and fish stocks.
The technology does possess some short-comings, but the researchers are currently working hard to overcome them. Since the system relies on cameras, it faces problems with lighting, passing penguins that are hidden behind others, and other limitations.
However, the researchers are experimenting with combining images from intelligent pan-tilt-zoom cameras to compensate for the hidden birds. They are also trying infra-red imaging to fix problems with night-time settings.
The project is a joint operation between the University of Bristol and the Animal Demography Unit. It’s the flagship project of the COMBINE research collaboration for the university. For more information about the project, check out the SpotThePenguin.com website.
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May 16th, 2010
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