Using Swiss AI and drones to count African wildlife

An algorithm highlights obvious animals in blue and possible animals in yellow. After a promising first run in Namibia, a Swiss project could aid savanna conservation using drones and automatic image analysis. To get a sense of how many animals live in a given area, game counts are typically done in real time by sharp-eyed people in vehicles. A project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) uses drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to count wild animals more efficiently. "Human eyes are very good at detecting animals, but not at screening countless images. Computers can process a lot more data," explains Swiss geo-information specialist Devis Tuia, who received a personal grant from SNSF to form a lab to improve wildlife monitoring methods in places like Namibia.