An EU-funded project called WildBotics, coordinated by the Bruno Kessler Foundation, aims to use autonomous robots and artificial intelligence to track wildlife and support species conservation in the Dolomites, in northern Italy.
The initiative builds on the WildDrone project, whose technology was tested in the Kenyan savannah. Using artificial intelligence algorithms and photogrammetry, the system can reconstruct each animal in 3D, calculate its position, orientation and size, follow its movements and tell individuals apart within a group.
According to the coordinator, Fabio Remondino, the processing makes it possible to identify species and individuals automatically and almost in real time, without the need for a constant human presence. The aim is population monitoring that is more precise, less invasive and with a smaller environmental footprint.
At a demonstration at Lake Nambino, with the Adamello Brenta Park, the MUSE museum and the local fire and civil protection services, platforms were shown combining LiDAR, radar, sonar and GNSS sensors to help drones and robots find their way across complex natural terrain.
