Skyrobot: Drone with AI and IR sensor

Japanese start-up Skyrobot, which develops unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, has decided to help local farmers protect farmland from wildlife raids. To combat uninvited guests, the company offers to use its software and hardware complex, consisting of a quadcopter, an IR camera and an artificial intelligence system. This was reported in October 2017 by the Japanese edition of Nikkei.^[1]

Skyrobot drone

As conceived by the developers, flying around the controlled territory, the drone will identify animals approaching the fields and scare them away using a high-frequency signal or the sounds of firecrackers breaking. Thanks to a specialized camera capable of shooting both in normal mode and in infrared mode, potential intruders will not go unnoticed even at night and in a wooded area.

In addition, an artificial intelligence-based system will analyze drone footage to predict their behavior based on habits and animal footprints.

Drones with infrared sensors will protect farm lands from wildlife raids

It is noted that the Skyrobot complex provides for human participation: the decision when to turn on the scare signal is made by operators who remotely monitor the system. In the future, it is planned to equip drones with small balls containing repellent repellent, which the drone will be able to drop into the specified place.

According to Nikkei, the Skyrobot service is scheduled to launch in October 2017. According to the developer's website, the cost per day is 200 thousand yen (about $1800), plus taxes.^[2]

In July 2017, tests were reported on the Skyrobot complex in Gunma Prefecture northwest of Tokyo, where local farmland suffers from raids by monkeys and wild boars. Also, before commercial implementation, the system was tested in Nagano Prefecture, where bears enter farm lands.^[3]

Robotics

Notes