Image: Halden Krog
Technology is coming to the aid of Cape Town’s Shark Spotters.
The organisation has teamed up with experts in computer-aided vision to develop an automatic shark-detection algorithm.
Field work has begun on Fish Hoek beach, where footage of sharks is being collected for analysis and development of the software.
“While footage of live sharks is collected where possible, a decoy shark is also being used due to the sporadic and unreliable nature of shark sightings,” said a statement on Tuesday from the City of Cape Town, which funds the Shark Spotters with the Save Our Seas Foundation.
The research is expected to see fixed cameras deployed above beaches within 18 months, but they won’t mean the end of human shark spotters equipped with binoculars and walkie-talkies.
“The automated system will not replace the spotters employed in Cape Town, but rather assist them with more reliable and accurate shark detection,” said the statement.
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By: Dave Chambers
Source: TMG Digital
