Flox Intelligence is building AI to keep wildlife away from trains, airports, and roads
Flox Intelligence is developing AI-powered devices that detect wildlife near transport infrastructure and play sounds tailored to the animal to deter it. The company aims to reduce disruptions and damage to both animals and infrastructure, addressing a problem that affects transport networks worldwide.
Its battery-operated devices use motion sensors and cameras to identify animals on-site, then vary their responses to reduce the chance that wildlife becomes accustomed to repeated signals. Flox also provides a monitoring and reporting platform, with a longer-term goal of running its software on trains, cars and drones. The article cites an estimate that wildlife strikes cost US civil aviation about $272 million a year, while SNCF says animals affect more than 8,000 trains annually.
- Flox uses AI to identify and deter wildlife near transport routes.
- Its devices tailor sounds to species and change responses over time.
- The company hopes to extend the software to trains, cars and drones.
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Wildlife can create safety risks and disrupt transport when it enters places such as railway lines, roads and airport runways. Collisions can injure or kill animals, damage vehicles and infrastructure, and delay journeys.
Flox Intelligence is a company developing devices that use sensors and cameras to detect nearby animals, then play sounds intended to move them away. It also offers a platform to monitor and report activity, with the longer-term aim of putting its software on vehicles and drones.
The issue affects transport networks in many countries: the article cites an estimate of US aviation losses from wildlife strikes and figures from French rail operator SNCF on trains affected each year. How well deterrents work, and whether animals adapt to them, are relevant to assessing their potential value.