Bengaluru civic agency joins hands with IISc-based startup for survey of stray dogs in city

The Bengaluru civic agency has joined hands with a startup based in Indian Institute of Science for a ”survey” of stray dogs using drones.

The survey in Bengaluru was started on July 11.

In addition to the field survey, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is taking the assistance of VayDyn, the startup at the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Technology Park at the Indian Institute of Science, for this work.

”It is a pilot project to count the free roaming dogs in and around lakes of Bengaluru City using drone technology. The use of drones for canine survey is probably the first of its kind in India,” the BBMP said in a statement.

Initially, Hulimavu, Sarakki, Seegehalli and Yele Mallappa Shetty lakes were selected as a ”proof of concept.” The drones were able to capture the images of dogs and successfully identify using artificial intelligence.

The data from the drones survey will be analysed in the coming days and will be cross validated with the data collected by the conventional ground survey team, the BBMP said.

It also said if the data from the drone correlates with the ground team, all the safe and open flying spaces in the city will be surveyed with drones in the coming years, as it would be time saving and cost efficient in comparison with the conventional survey methods.

”During the pilot project, the team has identified some challenges in operating drones in urban airspaces with the airspace regulations and safety concerns, but is optimistic that with new indigenous technologies like autonomous drones and access to better onboard camera systems, such operations can be scaled up massively in urban airspaces for a broad range of applications such as disease surveillance, construction inspections, encroachments, disaster management etc.,” the statement said.