▲ Bear sightings and related damages are surging in Japan.
Japan, currently struggling with frequent bear sightings, has begun deploying drones, alongside robots and artificial intelligence (AI), to prevent bear-related damage.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on June 14, a drone system developer in Tochigi Prefecture recently developed software for drones equipped with bear-detection capabilities.
While drones are typically limited to detecting objects such as people, cars, and ships, this company created software capable of identifying bears by training it on tens of thousands of bear images.
Drones equipped with this technology can not only detect bears and send emails to relevant authorities but also feature functions to repel them by shining bright lights or emitting 129-decibel noise, a level comparable to the sound of a jet engine.
A company official explained that while the system currently uses visible light for bear detection, they plan to evolve it to include infrared detection in the future.
In Japan, as the growing bear population leads to frequent attacks on humans, advanced technologies such as wolf-shaped robots and AI-powered detectors are being utilized to deter bears.
Recently, a bear appeared in a residential area of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture with a population of over 500,000, and was captured after three days. This highlights how bear-related damage is spreading beyond mountainous and rural areas into urban centers.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.