Engineers Tackle Elephant Identification Software

 

Engineers Tackle Identification Software

Engineers tackle and know vital demographic statistics about Forest Elephants is through the decades of work.  Together with  understanding a population is vital to preserving it, forest elephants and the forest ecosystem of Dzanga Ndoki National Park.  Before digital technology, it was more of a task to keep track of identified elephants. After digital technology, pictures were automatically saved and dated. Again with Digital technology increased the volume of information across disciplines and worldwide.  Animal behavior research is no exception. Now that this is the standard, what does it look like for Engineers seeking to ID elephants now?  https://www.glewengineering.com/engineers-develop-drones-to-protect-elephants-from-poachers/

Engineers Study Elephant Communication

Engineers who are currently tackle studying the elephants, understand the animals infrasonic communication, or rumbles. Having the knowledge of who is making the calls is key information.  Similarly, since these researchers have not spent decades in Dzanga, Elephants are not immediately familiar, they cannot identify them on sight.

Engineers have developed a database consisting of a portion of the identified Elephants photographed within the last 8 years.  Coded images with the distinguishing characteristics are used to make written on identity cards. The same ear hole, rips, tusk shape, tail features, tusks, height, andskin lesions. The program is supposed to work this way.  For example, a Engineer wanting to know who an elephant is enters a series of features.    Similar issues that manual identification has the subjectivity and inexact nature of character identification. https://www.glewengineering.com/engineers-help-save-endangered-species/

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence offers a solution. Engineers have created a program that uses facial recognition to identify elephants. The program uses an algorithm that takes thousands of measurements.  For example, the program saves images, learns what facial measurements are unique to an individual elephant. Also, program uses measurements which are exact, solving the problem of subjective characteristics. A user will enter a photograph,  the program will return possible matches, similar to the digital database.  https://www.glewengineering.com/mechanical-engineers-design-living-areas-for-zoos/

Engineers Seek Perfect Program

Although this is the ideal program, nothing is without limitations. This type of program requires a lot of data.  One must enter photographs of an elephant from different angles. Requiring a high-performance laptop to do this kind of data entry.  This can be expensive and impractical to use in Dzanga. However, artificial intelligence is an exciting frontier of technology.  Coupled with , the potential to transform science and make learning who an elephant is as simple as entering a picture into a program. The program will return a series of likely matches. In practice, the program has similar issues that manual identification has.  For example,  the subjectivity and inexact nature of character identification.  https://www.savetheelephants.org/about-ste-2/

In Conclusion:

Future of Elephant lives are at stake. Engineers are improving programs to assist Rangers in the field. Hopefully, to catch the poachers, aid in identification, and distribute herds across the landscape.  Elephants are a World Treasure.

 

 

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