I Went Birding With the World’s First AI-Powered Binoculars
For bird identification when the Bird ID setting is active, the AX Visio uses a modified version of Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID’s extensive bird database. The Mammals ID, Butterfly ID, and Dragonfly ID settings on the binoculars are powered by the Sunbird database. However, while mammals and flying insects can currently only be identified in Europe and North America, the Bird ID software works everywhere—even Antarctica. The identification apps use a combination of image recognition and geolocation, which is enabled by a built-in GPS sensor that tells the software where you are in the world. That can help it narrow down which species you’re probably looking at. Looking Out I’m an amateur bird watcher, and I got a chance to test out the AX Visio in the field at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa. (Swarovski flew me down there to test the binoculars in the field.) Guests at the reserve can currently rent the binoculars for $40 per day, with the proceeds benefiting local conservation projects. Initially, I was …