Project description
Deep-learning methods to increase wildlife biology studies
Recent advances in AI, particularly in deep learning, have the potential to revolutionise the study of wild animals by offering less invasive identification methods, enabling the collection of large volumes of data, and opening up new research avenues. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DeepWeaver project brings together scientists and technical staff from three European countries and South Africa to develop innovative deep-learning methods for non-invasive wildlife biology studies. The project focuses on individual recognition, attribute identification, and behavioural analysis. It will create a pipeline for processing large volumes of video data, boost creativity, facilitate skills transfer, and enhance collaborative networks. The results will contribute to increasing Europe’s competitiveness in wildlife biology.
Objective
Studies of wild animals, from conservation to behaviour, are usually based on individually marked animals. This requires capturing, marking and sampling animals, which imposes limitations as these methods can be challenging, time consuming and impact individual welfare. Additionally, following and observing or video recording animals to obtain data is further constraining. Recent developments in artificial intelligence, in particular deep learning, have the potential do radically and rapidly change the way in which animals are studied in the wild. These new methods can push current boundaries by allowing not only less invasive methods of identification, but also obtaining large volumes of data and, importantly, collection of new types of data, allowing new questions to be addressed. In this proposal, we bring together a team of scientist and technical staff from three European countries and South Africa. Our aim is to develop highly innovative methods, based on rapidly advancing developments in deep learning, which can have a substantial impact on the study of wildlife biology. Specifically, we will streamline non-invasive methods (i.e. no capture) in order to obtain 1) individual re/identification in the field; 2) identification of individual attributes (e.g. sex, size); 3) automatic identification of behaviours (e.g. provisioning young, aggression). In addition 4) we will establish a pipeline to process large volumes of video data, combining individual and behavioural identification. The project is based on exchanges between staff with different expertise, and on work conducted both in the lab and in field. These exchanges are expected to boost creativity and result in meaningful skills transfer and a strengthened collaborative network. The expertise and the methods developed will have a meaningful and lasting impact in the field of behavioural and wildlife biology, contributing to increase Europe’s competitiveness and attractiveness.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning deep learning
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences behavioural ecology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff Exchanges
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-SE-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
4485-661 VAIRAO, VILA DO CONDE
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.