MONTRÉAL, Aug. 5, 2024
/CNW/ - Espace pour la vie, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies
(VCE), Mila – Québec Artificial Intelligence Institute, and the
University of Ottawa are proud to
announce the launch of the eButterfly app. An international team of
biologists, entomologists and computer scientists collaborated on
creating this free application, which uses artificial intelligence
to identify butterflies from everywhere on the planet and makes it
possible to share the user's observations, in the field, directly
from a smartphone.
Thanks to the integration of an image recognition algorithm, the
app can identify butterflies from photos taken with the phone.
Trained using millions of pictures of butterflies, this artificial
intelligence can detect unique patterns and characteristics for
each species. At the cutting edge of technology, the identification
algorithm also uses the location where the butterfly was observed
along with the observation date for optimized performance.
eButterfly: an essential tool for observing and studying
butterflies
Besides offering real-time data consultation from anywhere on
Earth, the eButterfly platform allows users to submit, organize and
share their observations and to receive support for butterfly
identification from a community of enthusiasts.
A project made possible thanks to collaborative work
eButterfly is an international project devoted to research,
conservation and education supported by the following
organizations: Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Espace pour la
vie, Mila and the University of
Ottawa.
Initiated in Canada in 2012,
the platform was quick to extend its reach in North America, finally becoming global in
2023. In that same year, more than 34,000 observations were made in
39 countries. All data are uploaded to GBIF – the Global
Biodiversity Information Facility, and are thus accessible to all
researchers around the world.
Since its launch, upwards of 50 scientific articles based on
eButterfly data have been published, and the eButterfly databank
has been cited over 250 times.
Citations
Rodrigo Solis, coordinator of
Data and Human Network at eButterfly
"The new application is the perfect long-term monitoring tool
for individuals to contribute data on butterfly observations
worldwide for decades to come. This will be an essential and
wonderful opportunity for people to get involved in science,
appreciate nature, and interact with and enjoy biodiversity."
Kent McFarland, director of
the VCE's Vermont Atlas of Life and of eButterfly
"Changes in butterfly diversity constitute warning signs of
habitat degradation, climate change and other ecological threats.
In gathering observations in its free-access database, eButterfly
is a powerful information resource for mitigating the rapid loss of
insect biodiversity documented around the world."
Maxim Larrivée, director of the Insectarium and creator of
eButterfly
"eButterfly is the tool for any butterfly enthusiast, from
beginners looking for help with butterfly identification to experts
who may want to plan their outings based on what species are active
on any date at any particular location."
David Rolnick, core academic
member of Mila – Québec Artificial Intelligence
Institute
"I'm very enthusiastic about the idea of this new eButterfly
app, which uses AI to democratize butterfly observation on a
worldwide scale, and in so doing opens the door to a wealth of data
on biodiversity."
More information
To learn more about the app and its use, you can watch a webinar
on the subject by Rodrigo Solis,
Coordinator of Data and Human Network at eButterfly.
eButterfly on the App Store
eButterfly on Google Play
About Espace pour la vie
Protecting biodiversity and the environment is at the heart of
the mission of Espace pour la vie, which is made up of the Biodôme,
Biosphère, Insectarium, Jardin botanique and Planétarium. Together,
these museums located in Montréal form Canada's largest natural science museum
complex, welcoming over 2.4 million visitors each year. In view of
the challenges our planet is facing, Espace pour la vie is working
to increase its impact by fostering dialogue with communities and
taking actions aimed at mobilizing the public behind the
socio-ecological transition.
Press kit
SOURCE Espace pour la vie Montreal