Insects monitored with AI in Thy National Park: New technology can protect biodiversity

Rasmus Hørving-Mulberg
October 1, 2024

Rasmus Hørving-Mulberg

@Rasmus

This post is also available in: Danish

In a new research collaboration, three BeeSee stations have been installed in Thy National Park. These stations are equipped with cameras and computers that use artificial intelligence to monitor and record insect life in real time. The aim is to collect data on the vulnerable insect populations and their activity in the national park – data that can play a crucial role in future nature projects.

“We have developed a technology that opens up completely new possibilities in nature monitoring. The collaboration with Thy National Park is fantastic because it helps us to ensure that we push the technology in the right direction so that it can make a difference to those who actually manage our nature. At the same time, it gives Thy National Park the opportunity to be at the forefront of automated nature monitoring,” says founder of Tecology Hjalte Mann.

Hjalte Mann holds a PhD in Biology from Aarhus University, and Tecology is housed in The Kitchen, Aarhus University’s entrepreneurial hub.

New AI technology keeps an eye on nature’s smallest inhabitants

The simple yet effective BeeSee stations consist of a yellow plate, a camera, a computer, a battery and a solar cell. Although the setup looks simple, it houses advanced software that records insect visits every few seconds. Each visit is visually documented and the collected data is continuously analyzed to provide insights into insect activity and diversity.

“We like to carry out pre- and post-registrations of a number of species groups when we carry out nature projects, and the BeeSee stations can eventually make our monitoring of insects much more simple and efficient. We will also be able to use them in areas where we expect, for example, that a rare species is about to arrive and that we therefore need to take extra care,” says biologist in Thy National Park Jeppe Pilgaard.

This data collection is already well underway and the first results are promising for the future of the project. With thousands of records, the systems look set to revolutionize nature monitoring, both nationally and internationally.

Contributing to the future of nature management

For Thy National Park, the project offers great opportunities to improve nature management. By integrating modern monitoring technologies such as those from Tecology, they can gain a much better understanding of the role of insects in the ecosystem. This is especially important as insects are one of the most vulnerable animal groups of our time.

“One of our purposes as a national park is to support research into nature. It’s important that we constantly learn more about the unique nature we have in Thy and how we can best manage it. When we enter into a project with Tecology here, it is to help develop the technology in a direction that will be useful to us as managers of nature,” says Jeppe Pilgaard from Thy National Park.

The data collected will not only be used to improve biodiversity locally in Thy, but will also contribute to the development of nature monitoring technology that can potentially be implemented in protected areas worldwide.