A research team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has developed an innovative, low-cost and AI-powered drone system that can identify and track camels from the air, according to Arab News.
The system serves as an affordable tool for camel herders to sustain one of Saudi Arabia’s oldest traditions. At the same time, it enables scientists to learn more about camel migration patterns and behaviors.
The AI-powered drone, developed by Professor Basem Shihada and his research team, relies on inexpensive commercial drones and cameras, allowing camel herders to monitor their herds in real time without the need for expensive GPS collars or satellite connections.
The team utilized a single drone-mounted camera to capture aerial footage of small camel herds in the Kingdom. This footage paved the way for training their AI model using machine learning. Consequently, the models offered new insights into the animals’ habits.
“We found their migration patterns were not random but showed identifiable patterns,” said KAUST scientist Chun Pong Lau, who was also involved in the project.
Camel Patterns
Researchers also clarified that camels, particularly the older ones, followed coordinated grazing patterns, traveling long distances within the day but always returned to their herder by sunset.
KAUST scientists have kept the drone at least 120 meters above the ground due to the camels’ heightened sensitivity to the drone’s noise.
Camels were a primary means of transportation across vast distances offering a good company to combat the isolation of long journeys. Today the camels remain one of the basic elements of Saudi Arabia’s history and civilization.
However, herding represents a main challenge with camels roaming up to 50 km a day across isolated terrain. This mobility often leads to road accidents, overgrazing and loss of livestock.
Looking ahead, KAUST team plans to collect video of larger camel herds of more heterogeneous sizes and colors to train their models to ensure higher performance.
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