Intel’s New AI-based Camera Will Boost Conservationists

Intel Corp. has developed a new version of its AI-based camera which is more effective and advanced than the older version. The company’s older version, TrailGuard was used by a non-profit conservation group to solve issues in Africa’s protected.

The older versions were capable of detecting motion and then relay pictures to forest rangers for evaluating suspicious behaviours like poaching or hunting. With that, the forest official could take action if anybody breached inside and started doing suspicious activities.

The new TrailGuard AI is developed to function in the ground. The system is about the size of a pencil and can be tucked in trees and bushes for capturing pictures while detecting motion. The company has previously used a chip called Movidius, a form of which it has previously stuffed into a USB stick (it allows a deep neural network to do most of the heavy lifting).

The deep learning algorithms in the new device are capable of detecting vehicles and human beings with a high degree of accuracy and shall avoid a large number of false-positives and save the rangers precious time.

This year, TrailGuard AI will be used across 100 forest reserves in the African sub-continent and afterwards, it will expand its use into Asia and South American region.

“The Intel Movidius VPU allowed us to revolutionize TrailGuard AI by adding artificial intelligence to a proven end-to-end solution to stop illegal poaching around the world,” quoted Eric Dinerstein, director of biodiversity and wildlife at Resolve.