So you’ve got a smart speaker, smart light bulbs, a smart doorbell, and a smart thermostat. What’s next? How about a smart bird-spotter to clue you in on what’s happening in your garden while you’re indoors staring at screens? That’s what the folks at new Kickstarter project Birdsy have created.
Drawing on the power of A.I. image recognition technology, they’ve developed a Wi-Fi camera that will not only record what’s happening outside, but also ID the bird species and assorted other wildlife that crop up on screen. These recordings are saved and labeled automatically, making it easy to find and watch the day’s highlights. Right now, Birdsy can reportedly ID feeder birds and yard wildlife for North America and European varieties. However, on its project page, its creators note that the A.I. is “constantly learning and improving.” Over time, this should mean that the total number of species Birdsy can recognize will increase.
Setting up and enjoying the waterproof Birdsy camera, which offers 1080p HD resolution, promises to be easy. Simply fix it near to an existing feeder and then let the “state of the art” A.I. tech do its thing. You can then tune into the feed (video, not birdfeed) on a connected device like a phone. The bird app contains neat features like keeping a list of your various sightings, the ability to sort and watch videos by species or browse by time/date, and easy sharing for friends and family via social media.
Is it a niche product? 100%. But it’s one that could absolutely appeal in a big way to its desired audience. And could maybe even make a few more people interested in uncovering the wildlife their garden has to offer along the way.
The Birdsy Wi-Fi camera and everything you need to start viewing starts at $199. Other, higher-priced tiers come with more cameras. Shipping is planned for September 2020.
As with any Kickstarter project, we’d advise a degree of caution. Projects can — and often do — ship late, not quite as described, or sometimes even not at all. However, if you’re nonetheless keen to get involved you can do so on the project’s Kickstarter page. Now if only some other smart home company hadn’t already used the bird-themed name Nest…
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