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AI Technology Cuts Wind Turbine Eagle Deaths By 82%

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IdentiFlight is an AI-powered bird detection system that is used in conjunction with wind turbine farms. The device scans the area for large birds, and can turn off individual turbines if it believes a bird is at risk of colliding with a blade. "The IdentiFlight bird detection system blends artificial intelligence with the high-precision optical technology to detect eagles and other protected avian species. In an operating wind farm, IdentiFlight contributes to eagle conservation by helping protect them from collisions with rotating wind turbine blades. In wind project development, IdentiFlight helps in permitting sites by accurately quantifying avian activity at prospective sites. Automatic detection and species determination occur within seconds for birds flying within a one kilometer hemisphere around an IdentiFlight tower. The IdentiFlight system has completed real-world testing and validation in pilot programs at wind farms with elevated eagle activity and is now commercially deployed at projects around the world. The IdentiFlight uses 47 million images to identify protected species, and it appears the tech works. A recent study found that there was an 82% reduction in bird fatalities at a site using the IdentiFlight compared with a control site. "This technology therefore has the potential to lessen the conflict between wind energy and raptor conservation.

  Genre: Research Report > New Finding (0.61)
  Industry: Energy > Renewable > Wind (1.00)

This AI optical technology cuts wind turbine eagle deaths by 82% - Electrek

#artificialintelligence

IdentiFlight's smart cameras, which spot birds of prey such as eagles and then halt wind turbines to protect the birds, can result in a large percentage reduction of bird deaths, according to a new study published last week in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The study, titled, "Eagle fatalities are reduced by automated curtailment of wind turbines," tested the efficacy of IdentiFlight's camera system, which detects flying objects, classifies them, and decides whether to curtail individual turbines to avoid potential collision, at Duke Energy's Top of the World Windpower Facility in Wyoming. They compared the number of eagle fatalities observed at Top of the World with those at a control site without IdentiFlight nine miles (15 km) away. There was an 82% reduction in the fatality rate at Top of the World relative to the control site. This technology therefore has the potential to lessen the conflict between wind energy and raptor conservation.