Bird Buddy’s new intelligent hummingbird feeder is capable of photographing and identifying 350 bird species
Bird BuddyMaker of the smart bird feeder that takes photos of birds, and stores these in a companion smartphone app, e-commerce company XL is now launching another product for birdwatchers, nature lovers, and birdwatchers. The company will be displaying a prototype of its A.I.-powered Smart Hummingbird Feeder at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It can take photos and videos from 350 species of hummingbirds with speeds up to 60 mph.
The feeder’s original smart bird feeder is still in use. However, the feeder’s new camera can be triggered by motion to take photos. The photos are then sent to an A.I. Program to identify the species. The user is then alerted to their visitor using the Bird Buddy mobile app.
Bird Buddy was originally a Kickstarter crowdfunded startup. It soon realized that it could not rely on open databases for bird identification. It built 250 test cameras, and then sent them out to volunteers Kickstarter backers in 2021 to help it build its own A.I. tech. After collecting over 3 million photos, the company hired an ornithologist to help with manual processing of more than 2 million photos in order to train its bird identification A.I. Bird Buddy now has the ability to identify over 1,000 birds.
Bird Buddy comes with a mobile app that makes birdwatching fun. The app allows users to build their bird collection, track their birds’ visits over time and learn about their habits. Users can also share photos of their birds with the community. This gives a modern twist to an old hobby.
Image Credits Bird Buddy
According to Bird Buddy, 100,000 people now have smart feeders. The company has a new product: Heartbeat Map website, also launched at CES allows anyone to keep track of bird sightings, even if they are not part of Bird Buddy.
The company presented its Hummingbird Feeder at CES. They said that the feeder will be made with sustainable and recyclable materials. The two-part design can be removed and reassembled easily. The new Bird Buddy smart feeder has a swappable camera module and an optional solar roof. Motion sensors are also included. tech.
The original feeder costs $199 or $269 with the solar roof. It has been shipping since September. Although the Hummingbird Feeder has not been priced yet, it will likely be similar or even a bit less. The new feeder will be available for purchase later in the year.
Image Credits Bird Buddy
Bird Buddy’s success over the long-term may not come from its feeders, but from the data it collects.
Bird Buddy co-founder, explains that they get timestamps and know the species. They also know the location based on where you put it. Kyle Buzzard, CES Chat “We’re building a large database of bird visits.”
He stated that the company plans to open-source the data so that organizations like the Audubon Society, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and universities can have access. The team also discussed the possibility of allowing people to take photos and identify birds with their smartphones.
The startup, which is based in Kalamazoo and Slovenia, raised $8.5million from General Catalyst. Backed In a seed round last year.