This year's Consumer Electronics Show (2023) has no shortage of fun, weird, and advanced technologies. One of the new techs introduced in the Las Vegas Show was Bird Buddy's AI-powered bird feeder that captures images of winged visitors and identifies at least 350 different hummingbird species.
As reported first by TechCrunch, the smart feeder's camera is activated by motion that enables it to snap pictures of bird visitors. The images will then be delivered to an AI program to identify and notify the user via the Bird Buddy mobile app.
All About Bird Buddy
TechCrunch notes that Bird Buddy was initially a crowdfunded startup from Kickstarter but in order for it to advance its AI capabilities, it had to stray away from open databases so that it can accurately determine bird species.
Hence, the company created around 250 test cameras and delivered them to Kickstarter investors which would aid in the development of its own AI program.
Bird Buddy collated at least 3 million images and employed the expertise of an ornithologist (expert on birds) and other specialists to train the AI in identifying bird species. Due to these efforts, the new smart feeder can now determine at least 1,000 birds, such as hummingbirds.
Additionally, Bird Buddy includes a mobile app that turns birdwatching into a game. Users may expand their bird collections, track bird visits over time, learn about their routines, and share bird images with the community using the app.
This ultimately gives a modern and technological touch to bird-watching.
According to the business, the Bird Buddy network already has 100,000 members who own smart feeders. The Heartbeat Map website will also be debuting at the Las Vegas show, allowing users outside of Bird Buddy's clientele to follow bird sightings in real-time.
AI for Birds at CES
Bird Buddy highlighted its new hummingbird feeder at CES and noted that it intended to construct the feeder using recyclable and sustainable components while also providing new functionalities to cater to hummingbirds, such as ports with a lily-shaped red flower that gives access to the nectar the birds will consume.
Mold and leaks are prevented by the two-part design, which clicks together with a seal but is readily unsnappable for cleaning. The smart feeder has an interchangeable camera module, motion sensors, and an optional solar roof.
The Bird Buddy 3-in-1 accessory set and a pioneering modular pole and installation system are on show this week at CES in addition to the prototype of the Hummingbird Feeder.
The three-piece kit includes a jelly tray with an optional water fountain, a jelly tray, and a fruit stake that may draw more birds.
"Hummingbirds are truly magical and increasingly becoming an endangered species that require a specific food source that is harder and harder for them to find," Kyle Buzzard, co-founder and chief hardware officer of Bird Buddy said in a statement.
"In order to create a product that both people and hummingbirds would want to use, we knew we had to develop a practical design that allowed for quick assembly, zero leaks, and easy cleaning."
