BlueWaveID enables researchers to collect and store data and metrics on cetacean sightings on the high seas in real time. The tool uses Machine Learning to enhance knowledge about the behavior of these animals and share information.
KCS IT has developed BlueWaveID, an app designed to record cetacean data in real time for future processing in research areas. The product is part of the R&D area of KCS Terceira Tech (Azores), aimed at developing technically innovative projects supported by local resources, with a focus on the areas of Health and Sustainability and with a positive impact on the community and biodiversity.
The project has now been submitted to the National Innovation Agency's (ANI) SIFIDE program (Sistema de Incentivos Fiscais à Investigação e ao Desenvolvimento Empresarial).
As Luís Dias, Director of KCS IT's Consulting division, explains, "Sustainability is an increasingly present concern in the way KCS IT operates. The R&D area of our team located in Terceira, Azores, is dedicated to developing products with this matrix, which can have an impact on the way we analyze and enhance natural resources and their conservation. The solution now developed records and stores data on a cetacean's journey, location, sightings and characteristics, making it an invaluable tool for researchers, universities, professionals and entities that study these animals, their behavior and their relationship with the environment. The way we look at and are in the world has changed, and technology is, along with human will, the main driver of a more sustainable world."
The BlueWaveID app works by users uploading photos of cetaceans, recording data about the trip and the person photographed. This includes metrics such as the number of sightings, duration of the sighting, identifications, visibility, sea state data, cetacean behavior, longitude and latitude of the location, as well as images of the individual, especially the tail, which is how these mammals are identified.
The app uses a Machine Learning algorithm that analyzes the data and identifies the cetacean observed. In the next identification process, if the cetacean is in the database, this identification is automatic. The data collected is available for export and for data analysis applications.
There are many advantages to this type of solution: facilitating registration - Nowadays all sightings are recorded on paper after the investigators have arrived on land, but with the use of smartphones it is possible to record the sightings. in situ all information, including weather and location data; nature conservation - recording a large volume of data on routes, sightings, identification and monitoring allows more informed decisions to be made regarding conservation and protection objectives; data centralization - the recorded data is stored and available on all the user's (or their team's) devices and the statistics will help in the process of nature conservation; pattern recognition technology - recognizing the individual (cetacean) by the shape and characteristics of its tail, using Machine Learning.
With the app produced, the next steps for the KCS IT team are to involve partners and complement BlueWaveID with cetacean databases and implement the strategy of go to market.
About KCS IT:
Now 13 years old, KCS IT offers a multifaceted set of services that include outsourcing, strategic consulting (with services such as Research&Development, Team as a Service and Delivery Center) and training. This diversity is reflected in a vast group of clients from different sectors and industries.
With an innovative, agile, flexible and dedicated team, the consultancy has grown to become a company that is recognized for its expertise in project management through the implementation of international best practices such as PMI® and in line with Microsoft, Esri, Salesforce and SAP solutions.
Over time, KCS IT has developed its international presence and is currently present in various parts of Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Leiria and Terceira Island), Belgium and Luxembourg.
Additional information at www.kcsit.pt