An unassuming robotic hen decoy on show at a significant autonomous expertise convention in Abu Dhabi may maintain the important thing to saving the vulnerable houbara bustard species.
Found throughout North Africa, Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, houbara birds are sometimes wanted by falconers as a result of they’re the standard prey for searching birds.
Having been pushed to the brink of extinction amid a proliferation of smuggling throughout regional borders, researchers now hope robotic improvement may give the uncommon hen species a lifeline by permitting nearer and extra detailed motion observations and by bettering genetic range.
“The houbara is a really delicate animal,” mentioned Lyes Saad Saoud, a post-doctoral fellow at Khalifa University, which is spearheading improvement of the robotic by way of a partnership with the UAE-based International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
“We cannot just send humans over to try to find them and collect data. It just wouldn’t work in most cases.”
The robotic houbara accommodates a high-definition digital camera, audio recorder, varied sensors and motors that transfer its neck.
“The information collected from the bird can be recorded and sent right to the lab without any major disruption,” Mr Saoud mentioned.
They additionally discreetly include batteries and a Raspberry Pi single board laptop.
Information collected from the robots may vary from easy statement of hen behaviour to semen assortment that may enhance genetic range, in line with Khalifa University’s Centre for Autonomous Robotic Systems.
The robots are amongst a number of sustainability and conservation-related initiatives being showcased on the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and the Simulation and Training Exhibition in Abu Dhabi this week.
Robots resembling fish and squid, described as underwater mushy drones by Khalifa University, may effectively and safely examine coral reefs, whereas additionally probably getting used to watch the well being of species.
As for the houbara, efforts have ramped up in recent years to preserve the species by way of protected areas, captive-breeding and reintroduction programmes.
Once discovered throughout North Africa, Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, Mongolia and Iran, each species of houbara – North African and Asian – are categorized as vulnerable within the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a lowering inhabitants pattern.
The UAE has sought to arrest this decline with a decades-long conservation drive.
More than 40 years in the past, the UAE started a multimillion-dirham programme to repopulate pure habitats with captive-bred birds.
The International Fund for Houbara Conservation, through the National Avian Research Centre (NARC) and Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre in Abu Dhabi, have developed one of many largest repopulation programmes of an endangered species on the planet.
Updated: March 05, 2024, 11:40 AM
