AI to track wetland birds and robotic dogs to count trees
發佈日期: 2026-01-12 21:19
TVB News
Artificial intelligence is being used to track the number and species of birds and trees in the Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai.
There are plans to apply this technology in the Northern Metropolis.
AI-equipped rotating cameras were installed in this bird hide last April.
The system integrates image recognition and acoustic monitoring functions for round-the-clock surveillance, covering a radius of up to 500 metres.
Footage will be fed in real-time, enabling officers to carry out further analysis of the birds' behavior. It is also useful for identifying nocturnal and concealed species.
Director of Environmental Protection Samuel Chui noted that long-term training was provided for their frontline personnel to teach them how to recognise bird species.
He added the device is able to distinguish around 500 species with an accuracy rate over 90 percent.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Protection also introduced robotic dogs for tree surveys in Wetland Park.
Equipped with optical radar, these robotic dogs record the number and height of trees while moving around, even on slopes and stairs.
The department used to take about a day to manually count a grove of trees.
But with the help of these robotic dogs, the task can be done in just half an hour to an hour.
Assistant Director of Environment Assessment Gary Tam said there are many projects in the Northern Metropolis that require ecological surveys and optimization solutions.
He believes with the use of technology, accurate data can be obtained in a short time.
