Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS) partners with RoboticsCats to research AI applications for biodiversity management.
HKBWS, the only local civil society aiming at appreciating and conserving Hong Kong birds and the natural environment, was established in 1957. In addition, HKBWS was recognized as an approved charitable institution of public character in 2002. At the moment, HKBWS has 22 full-time staff, and more than 1700 local and overseas members. Its volunteers also help significantly in various aspects, such as leading birdwatching activities.
HKBWS teams up with RoboticsCats to deploy an AI Biodiversity-Care system in a fishpond managed by HKBWS. HKBWS revitalized the fishpond and turned it into a migratory bird habitat. One key R&D objective is to observe wildlife with no human intervention. Many migratory birds are sensitive to the presence of humans and will hide or fly away. We are interested in using surveillance cameras to watch the birds and their behavior, especially in the late night and early morning.
We deployed an AXIS Q6215-LE PTZ camera and fixed cameras in the fishpond area. With a 30x optical zoom and IR illuminator, we use the Q6215-LE to capture high-quality images and videos of small and faraway birds around the clock. This footage can help us build AI models to detect different bird species.
Video: We are Black-winged Stilts.
We are also exploring IoT devices to monitor the habitat such as micro-climate, water level, and pH values, to better understand the relationship between the climate, environment, and wildlife.
HKBWS and RoboticsCats are excited to use computer vision, AI, and IoT technologies to better manage this habitat. We are keen to leverage Internet technologies to bring biodiversity to more people.
Nature looks magnificent.
The birds sound beautiful.
Our hearts sing harmoniously.
As Steve Jobs said, ‘It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.'”
Please contact HKBWS at info@hkbws.org.hk if you have any question about our new AI Biodiversity-Care project.
