Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Yemeni Armed Forces: The battle is the battle of the entire Ummah and for its salvation.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We cannot tolerate any US attack or aggression in support of the Israeli enemy against Iran because it means the confiscation of the freedom, independence, and dignity of our nation.
Yemeni Armed Forces: The Israeli enemy seeks complete control over the region and implements the Zionist plan with open American support.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We affirm Yemen's principled position in rejecting the Zionist aggression against our brothers in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and any Arab or Islamic country.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We affirm our readiness to participate in targeting US ships and warships in the Red Sea if the US attacks Iran.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Iranian air defenses repel Israeli attack on military site in Shiraz.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Iran reports the activation of air defenses over Kashan.
IRGC: Operation to transport handmade bombs foiled in Gilan, north of Iran.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Iranian police says dismantled "electronic bomb" in west Tehran.
Israeli media: Drone explodes in Route 90 in Arraba after interception attempts failed.

Artificial intelligence helps scientists track British wildlife

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 13 Aug 2023 23:57
4 Min Read

Researchers have created arrays of AI-controlled cameras and microphones to detect animals and birds and track their movements in the wild.

  • x
  • Artificial intelligence helps scientists track British wildlife
    Gannets sit on a cliffside at a protected site near Bridlington, north-east England. (AFP)

Researchers have developed arrays of AI-controlled cameras and microphones to identify and monitor animals and birds in the wild – technology that they hope might help alleviate Britain's growing biodiversity issue.

Robot monitors were tested at three different places and gathered noises and photos that computers used to identify certain species and track their whereabouts. Dozens of different birds were recognized based on their songs, while AI analysis located and identified foxes, deer, hedgehogs, and bats with no humans to observe present. 

According to Anthony Dancer, a conservation specialist at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) “The crucial point is the scale of the operation."

Dancer explained that tens of thousands of hours of audio from aforementioned sites and "identified all sorts of animals from them."

The specialist highlighted the importance of AI to make that happen. 

The project's test locations were chosen in London including Barnes, Twickenham, and Lewisham. The locations are gated off to prevent people from straying onto lines and are visited seldom by rail maintenance employees. They are owned by Network Rail, which played a vital role in establishing the initiative.

Dancer noted that since the crucial factor of starting the project has been established, he is hopeful it will allow for expansion into other areas.

Network Rail owns more than 52,000 hectares of land, and many of these places are critical to the conservation of the nation's biodiversity.

Neil Strong, biodiversity strategy manager for Network Rail spoke of bird species like the Eurasian blackcap, blackbird, and great tit and how AI was capable of detecting them from acoustic signals from sensors installed.

Related News

British officials knew of 'Israel’s' plan to strike Iran: Sky News

India opens probe into London-bound-plane crash

Strong believes it is "encouraging and provides important benchmarks for measuring biodiversity in the future.”

Six kinds of bats, including the common pipistrelle, were also detected by the AI monitors.

More hedgehog highways needed

Dancer explained to The Observer that “Bats almost certainly use railway bridges for roosting,” explaining that more detailed information can be obtained to pinpoint exact locations and protect them.

“In the past, we have had to estimate local wildlife populations from the dead animals – such as badgers – that have been left by the track or the roadside. This way we get a much better idea of population sizes.”

The project also revealed that other animals usually frequent rail lines including hedgehogs.

Strong voiced that usually, hedgehogs are constrained to certain locations "because they get fenced in," adding that there are possible solutions. 

Strong observes that "hedgehog highways" are springing up in Scotland, which include putting tiny holes into the bases of all new fences so hedgehogs can get in and no larger animals can get in. 

Network Rail and ZSL are working on expanding AI monitors in other areas like Chobham in Surrey and the New Forest.

According to Dancer,  “On the sites that we have already tested, we found signs of more than 30 species of bird and six species of bat, as well as foxes and hedgehogs, so we were pleasantly surprised with the relatively healthy levels of wildlife we found in London,” even though he notes that was not the main focus of the program.

The specialist remarked that the main goal was to see how AI technology could survey wildlife not only on Network Rail but also in other areas in the UK.

He expressed hope that the program could also provide insight into how species are responding to climate change and how vegetation should be managed on road verges and other areas, as well as allowing humans to protect biodiversity through a feat only AI can achieve- analyzing tens of thousands of hours of recordings and hundreds of thousands of images. 

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Britain
  • United Kingdom

Most Read

Bin Salman: Islamic world backs Iran in call to Pezeshkian

MBS says Islamic world backs Iran in call with Pezeshkian

  • MENA
  • 15 Jun 2025
Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

  • MENA
  • 17 Jun 2025
Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)

Wave 12 of Operation True Promise 3 launched, Sejjil deployed: IRGC

  • Politics
  • 18 Jun 2025
Iran launches missile barrage to Tel Aviv, casualties reported

True Promise 3, wave 14: Tel Aviv targeted, casualties reported

  • Politics
  • 19 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Politics

'Israel' risks running out of Arrow 3 interceptors within weeks: WSJ

This is the Voice of America building in Washington D.C., on Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Trump enforces mass VOA layoffs, 600 employees terminated

Iranian protestors carry portrait of Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei and anti-Israeli signs during a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, June 20, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Israeli aggression uniting Iranians, including opposition: NYT

AP
Politics

Erdogan at OIC: No to new Sykes-Picot drawn in blood

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS