New Camera- And AI-Based Technology Can Make Wind Turbines Recognize Birds to Pause in Their Flight Path

As global warming and climate change worsens, people have been finding new ways of extracting energy from renewable resources and one of which is wind power. However, wind turbines can be a threat to birds and bats and scientists have been looking for ways to eliminate the dangers wind power may cause to other species.

The federal government of the US has allotted $13.5 million to develop solutions for birds or bats getting hit by wind turbines. But a company in Boulder, Colorado has recently revealed its camera- and AI-based technology that can recognize birds, like eagles, hawks, and other raptors. This technology will signal the turbines to pause when birds approach them to safely pass by.

IdentiFlight Can Recognize Birds Almost Six Times Than Human Observers

The company's new tool is called IndentiFlight, which can detect 5.62 times more birds flying at the path towards wind turbines than human observation. It uses high-precision optical sensors to calculate the speed and flight trajectory of birds to estimate whether they will collide with the turbine and send signals to shut downwind turbines.

According to Good News Network, the new technology has already won an award in Australia being installed in 2018 at a Tasmanian facility. Experts said that since its installation, they have seen lower eagle deaths at Cattle Hill Wind Farm by more than 80%. The 48 wind turbines in the area are shut down on average about 400 times each day for two to three minutes.

The company said IdentiFlight has the capability to identify bald and golden eagles within seconds when it detects an approaching object. Duke Energy in Wyoming is also using the same technology and has since recorded amazing results at the Top of the World Windpower Project like the one in Australia.

The area is known for the roosting site of gold eagles and is the first place where the company placed their technology in 2014 for testing after Top of the World was left with violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Now, 47 units of IdentiFlight are installed to constantly scan the sky to monitor all 110 wind turbines A 2020 study from researchers at The Peregrine Fund, Western EcoSystems Technology, and the US Geological Survey showed about 82% reduction in eagle deaths since the technology was put in place at the site.

Painting Wind Turbines Black Also Help Reduce Bird Deaths

Aside from the monitoring technology, some experts have also found other ways to help preserve the life of birds and bats. One of these methods is by painting wind turbines in black so birds and bats can easily see them.

According to an article published in Reve, painting wind turbines black could be the key to reducing the number of birds being killed each day by them. Studies have shown that changing the color of a single blade could lessen the number of bird deaths.

For instance, a wind farm in the Norwegian archipelago of Smøla has recorded a drop in bird deaths of about 70% after painting one blade in black. Then in 2013, a set of four turbines that had a single blade painted black only had six bird incidents within three years compared to the 18 bird deaths by a control group.

Experts also noted that there is some variation in bird deaths depending on the season in which summer months have the most number of bird deaths, while spring and autumn have a lower mortality rate of birds getting killed by wind turbines.

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