t cht lk understand behaviour . This will ultimately lead to more effective habitat conservation and create a more effective , passive elephant tracking system that will not be dependent on human observation in the field , or elephant immobilisations and collaring .
t cht lk understand behaviour . This will ultimately lead to more effective habitat conservation and create a more effective , passive elephant tracking system that will not be dependent on human observation in the field , or elephant immobilisations and collaring .
The AI models developed by Colossal will detect , track and map the location of elephants in their natural habitat . Estimation and behaviour analysis techniques will then analyse the signals , decision making and social dynamics of elephant herds .
These tools will ultimately be used to help the researchers at Save the Elephants understand and organise the vast amounts of video data that is being collected , standardise behaviour detection , allow for the individual behaviour observation of an entire herd over long time frames , and uncover nuanced behaviours that may go unnoticed by human observers .
“ The technological sophistication of modern drones , combined with appropriate analysis including the use of Machine Learning and AI expertise , will reveal many novel insights into elephant behaviour and ecology . And the better we understand elephants , the more we can help to secure a future for these iconic giants ,” said Fritz Vollrath of Save the Elephants .
Colossal was founded by emerging technology and software entrepreneur Ben Lamm and world renowned geneticist and serial biotech entrepreneur George Church . of their ecosystems . The growth of wildlife crime and poaching , as well as human elephant conflict has led to a sharp decline in Asian , African and Forest elephants .
Poaching claimed more than 100,000 African elephants between 2010 – 2012 alone , while elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus , EEHV , a virus Colossal is committed to eradicating , has been responsible for about half of all deaths of young elephants in human care .
“ Elephants are in dire need of additional conservation technologies to protect them . Given Colossal ’ s commitment to the preservation , protection and conservation of animals and ecosystems , we are excited for the opportunity to create a new technology ,” says Ben Lamm , Colossal Co-Founder and CEO .
“ This initiative has put Colossal one step closer to revolutionising the protection and preservation of all elephant species ,” said Matt James , Colossal ’ s Chief Animal Officer . “ By identifying innovative approaches to conserve these endangered species , we have been able to understand their behaviour in the wild better than ever before .”
As a keystone species , elephants are prime contributors to maintaining the vitality and biodiversity
Research data derived from the drone project will help develop an understanding of elephant decisionmaking and behaviour using AI models . It will also provide Colossal with key data to use in for the eventual rewilding of the woolly mammoth .
Studies have confirmed the urgency of rewildingfocused projects due to the rapid loss of many animal species , just as the world is starting to discover how much they impact carbon capture and storage in their environments .
The Colossal team spearheading this project includes Matt James , Colossal ’ s Chief Animal Officer and Leandra Brickson , Manager of Computational Sciences , who is leading the team applying artificial intelligence techniques to analyse the drone footage collected during the study . Colossal is working closely
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