Drones are becoming an more and more priceless tool to help oneself supervise wildlife . However , just like any new technology , it has its skeptics .
So , to evaluate the skill and accuracy of new drone technology compare to traditional counting methods , biologists in Australia headed to the beach with thousands of arctic ducks , an aerial monotone , a few citizen scientist , and a reckoner algorithm for what became know as the # EpicDuckChallenge .
" For a few years now , drones have been used to monitor different animals that can be see from above , include elephant , seal , and nesting birds . But , until now , the truth of using dawdler to count wildlife was unclear , " Jarrod Hodgson from the University of Adelaide ’s Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences said ina statement .
" We needed to test the engineering where we know the correct answer . We could n’t use risky fauna because we could never be sure of the real turn of individuals present . "
In true Aussie style , the researchers lead to a local beach in Adelaide with yard of decoy ducks . For the challenge , they pitted experienced wildlife experts gird with binoculars or telescopes against a chemical group of citizen scientist using aerial photographs gathered by quadcopter drone . The lagger - wielding amateurs make headway with ease , indicating that drones are more precise than traditional counting approaches .
Next up , the investigator compare old - fashioned binoculars or scope to a computer algorithm that counted the ducks mechanically . humbled and behold , the computer also won and was just as good as humans at review the imagery .
" Our solution show that monitoring animate being with lagger grow good data point that we can apply to proactively wield wildlife , " Hodgson said . The event are published in the journalMethods in Ecology and Evolution .
ethereal drones are already revolutionise the room many scientist study the surround and its wildlife . Not only are they more in effect ( that ’s now proven ) , they are less intrusive andminimize hurly burly . They also create someincredibly beautiful imagery .
“ With so many brute across the world face extinguishing , our need for accurate wildlife data has never been greater , " Hodgson sharpen out . " Accurate monitoring can detect small change in animal telephone number . That is important because if we had to wait for a braggy work shift in those numbers to notice the descent , it might be too former to conserve a threatened species . "
