Last week, Austria-based Swarovski Optik introduced the AX Visio 10×32 binoculars, which the company says can identify over 9,000 species of birds and mammals using image recognition technology. The company is calling the product the world’s first “smart binoculars,” and they come with a hefty price tag—$4,799.
“The AX Visio are the world’s first AI-supported binoculars,” the company says in the product’s press release. “At the touch of a button, they assist with the identification of birds and other creatures, allow discoveries to be shared, and offer a wide range of practical extra functions.”
Full article HERE from Ars Technica.
XKCD did that cartoon back in 2014, and now it’s a reality… A few more than 5 years, but having spent time in R&D, 9 years isn’t really bad.
Sometimes, those ‘hold my beer’ ideas really do turn out to be a good idea, and actually doable and marketable!
What will the next set of scientists/oddballs/inventors come up with next? Not a clue, but I’m betting it will be ‘interesting’ for various terms of interesting!!!
h/t to Stretch for the link!
Next: Friend or Foe recognition.
Hope it gets it right.
Um…. I have free apps on my phone that will ID vegetation, another that does birds, and one for coins. My phone also has a 10x zoom and takes lovely pictures. It weighs 8 ounces and fits in my shirt pocket.
It also makes phone calls!
So – clue us in as to which apps are they.
Another does stars.
That is a waste of money. Get a normal set of binoculars and a bird book for a lot less. If you don’t know what it is look it up in the bird book. Pictures and descriptions are all there.
Agreed!
sensible for us moderate income to poorer folks. If I was among those with money to burn, I’d buy a pair of these binoculars.
Isn’t the fun of bird-watching RECOGNIZING what you see, and if you don’t recognize it, taking notes and looking it up?
About 10 years ago, the ‘Precision Guided Firearm’ was released with great fanfare, along with some clutching of pearls. Seems to me that competitive long-range shooters really didn’t desire a firing system that took the skill out of the long-range shot.
I could be mistaken.
Facial recognition, mark my words well. Data collected from an international base such as Interpol, Europol, FBI, etc, etc…
Dear Gawd, I’m so glad I saw the world prior to the WWW. I have memories that are mine only.
And I still haven’t watched any Kardashian programs!!!
Investigating Officer: “All we found at the scene was shredded clothing a smashed body and these fancy binoculars.”
Detective Lieutenant: “Did you check th memory?”
Inestigating Officer: “Yes sir, it said you are about to be killed by a sasquatch.”
🙂
It’s interesting that AIs get bird IDs right, but those after human IDs keep tagging certain demographics in politically incorrect ways.
All- Good questions as to what is the next step… And IFF is always questionable… BTDT, seen it gotten VERY wrong.
$4,799 to look at a bird? I’ll just google it.
Will it tell you whether women are a) single and b) crazy? Now that would be some useful AI. 😁
CP- I’m with you!
Hereso- Sigh… if only…
I have 100yr old bird books & 30yr old binoculars, can ID a bird by it’s call day or night.$5000 for binoculars? I think not.