Estimating bison damage using advanced AI-based algorithms and satellite image information
The Kėdainiai District Municipal Administration is looking for a solution to test the calculation of bison damage using satellite data to identify fields that have been trampled, burned or otherwise damaged by bison, and to describe, with the help of artificial intelligence, the algorithms that will enable the identification of the areas where bison have caused damage.
Context
- Bison are large animals that usually live in herds, so when they enter farmers’ fields, they often disfigure and dislocate them, causing damage to crops, vegetables and other farm property. Kėdainiai District is one of the best developed municipalities in terms of agriculture, so there is a constant risk of damage when bison reach the fields of farmers and agricultural companies.
- It is estimated that over the last five years, farmers in the Kėdainiai district have suffered damages totalling almost €450 000, destroying around 400 hectares of crops.
- The State compensates farmers for the damage caused by bison, but the process of calculating this damage is lengthy, complex and requires not only money and human resources, but also extreme precision.
Solution
- The National Paying Agency’s information system uses statistical information recorded by the Sentinel satellites of the European Space Agency’s Copernicus programme from 2020. For the identification of declared crops, statistical data from Sentinel satellites and artificial intelligence algorithms are used to create actual crop maps and to identify changes in crop cover during certain periods of the growing season when crops may have been damaged by wild animals.
- The aim is to test the calculation of bison damage by using satellite data to identify fields that have been trampled, burned or otherwise damaged by bison, and by using artificial intelligence to describe algorithms to identify areas where bison have caused damage.
- The problem to be solved in the testing phase is to develop a prototype of an automated integration of satellite and in-situ data and artificial intelligence algorithms in the municipality of Kėdainiai district, which would allow to identify and quantify the damage caused by bison in terms of time and territory.
Prizes for participants
Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners:
1st prize – 15 000 EUR
2nd prize – 3 000 EUR
3rd prize: 1 800 EUR
Additional information
The deadline for receipt of projects or applications for participation is 14 September 2021, 8:30.
For a detailed description of the challenge and the call for projects, see the Central Public Procurement System (CVP IS).