Biologists and Computer Scientists Build Facial Recognition Tool for Lemurs

Facial recognition software comes in many different shapes and forms. While there are a lot of privacy concerns associated with this technology, some of these developments are quite intriguing. One of them is the development of facial recognition software for lemurs. Although not everyone may see a use case for this technology, it goes to show software is becoming a lot smarter as of late.

LemurFaceID Is Surprisingly Accurate

For most people, lemurs will look alike regardless of what others may say. Unless they have a different colored coat, very few people will see the differences between one lemur and the next. Thankfully, there is now a solution to make this process a lot easier, thanks to the Lemur FaceId software, a collaborative effort between lemur biologists and computer scientists.

It has to be said, this new platform has a lot of potential. With 97% accuracy, LemurFaceId is a perfect example of how advancements in artificial intelligence and facial recognition can be used for many different purposes. Mass surveillance of the human race remains a pressing issue, yet the technology can be used in different industries as well.

Identifying individual lemurs have always been a challenge, even for the most renowned biologists. Cataloging unique identifiers can be a daunting task, and does not provide the most reliable of results either. Most of the factors taken into account will change over time, such as scars healing and shapes changing. A far better solution needed to be created, which is where artificial intelligence came into the picture.

Modifying human facial recognition software has proven to be quite a fun project for the lemur biologists. They added a vast database of red-bellied lemurs and other species to test their new facial recognition software. The AI-based solution was able to identify unique features for each lemur, including hair and skin patterns. Distinguishing between these features with the naked eye would be virtually impossible.

LemurFaceID has a wide range of potential applications. Combing through a fixed set of images is just the first step towards turning this solution into a mainstream tool for lemur biologists all over the world. It is even possible to monitor these animals in their natural habitat without biologists having to be in the vicinity. Using facial recognition in the wild is a concept that seemed very far away a few years ago, yet is now on the brink of becoming a reality very soon.

Albeit lemur species may not be on everyone’s list of priorities, the number of endangered species is alarmingly high. We know about 50 different lemur species, 36 of which are in a vulnerable – or endangered – state right now. Understanding how these animals deal with habitat changes will help biologists method to help, protect the population over time. Moreover, this concept opens the door for other facial recognition-based solutions that will help us gain a better understanding of nature and our planet.

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