TrailGuard AI is an anti-poaching facial recognition system that aims to stop poachers before they kill their prey. Developed in 2019 by RESOLVE, Intel and conservation technologist Steve Gulick, the system is intended to be used as a security system within national parks to identify, locate and stop poachers. Leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms, humans can be detected within images, compressing and relaying any human-featuring photo back to park authorities through mobile, radio or satellite LoRa networks. Multiple cameras can be set up throughout the park, connecting to one gateway. The information collected by TrailGuard AI also helps authorities understand the workings and patterns of poaching networks, helping enable further crackdowns on illegal wildlife trade. During its field-test at the Grumeti Reserve in Tanzania, the TrailGuard AI was able to identify members of a poaching network, leading them to the seizure of over 1,300 pounds of bushmeat and the arrest of 30 members. TrailGuard AI also has the potential to be used for the monitoring of other illicit activities, but has presently only been tested for use against poachers. As of early 2020, the team at RESOLVE is working on scaling the current prototypes in order to create affordable versions to ensure their widespread use.
Le Grange, S. Predicting Future Poaching Sites in African Reserves. Program Chair & Proceedings Editor: M. Afzal Upal, PhD Chair of Computing & Information Science Department Mercyhurst University 501 E 38th St Erie, PA, 16546, 15.
See also:
Dinerstein, E. (2019). Trailguard. Retrieved from https://www.resolve.ngo/trailguard.htm
Categories
Artificial Intelligence, Biodiversity, Ecological Monitoring, Illegal Resource Extraction, Internet of Things, Monitoring, Regulation, Visual Technologies
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