Austrian company Swarovski Optik has introduced a groundbreaking product in the world of optical instruments. The company, known for its long-range optical innovations, has collaborated with renowned Australian industrial designer Marc Newson to develop the AX Visio, the world’s first pair of AI binoculars. Priced at €4,600 ($5,000), these binoculars come equipped with an onboard computer that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify a wide range of bird species.
The AX Visio binoculars incorporate a built-in camera and employ computer vision software capable of real-time identification of over 9,000 bird species. Additionally, they can also identify certain mammals and insects, making them an invaluable tool for wildlife observation. The device utilizes image-recognition models stored on its onboard chips, with the Bird ID setting powered by a modified version of Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID database. The Mammals ID, Butterfly ID, and Dragonfly ID settings rely on the Sunbird database. The binoculars’ geolocation feature, enabled by a built-in GPS sensor, assists in narrowing down the species based on the user’s location.
During a field test at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, the AX Visio binoculars proved to be user-friendly and efficient. The mode-selection wheel on the bridge of the binoculars allows easy switching between different identification settings. When focused on a bird, a red circle appears in the user’s field of vision, and pressing the raised button on the top of the binoculars triggers the identification process. The device accurately identified various bird species, including small birds like the 5-inch-long malachite kingfisher. However, there were occasional glitches where the binoculars failed to identify a bird that was clearly visible within the red circle.
The accuracy of bird recognition varied, with the AX Visio correctly identifying birds approximately 60 to 70 percent of the time. However, a software update installed on another pair of binoculars improved the accuracy to around 80 to 90 percent. Swarovski Optik plans to release several firmware updates each year, enhancing the identification engine’s accuracy and expanding the range of species covered.
The AX Visio binoculars also offer a unique feature that allows users to share the precise location of a specific animal. This function proved useful for andBeyond guides at the game reserve, who could easily share the whereabouts of certain species with guests.
The development of the AX Visio binoculars took five years, resulting in a product featuring high-performance analog long-range optics, a 112-meter field of view at 1,000 meters, 10X magnification, and 32-millimeter objective lenses. The onboard camera captures 13-megapixel photos and 1080p videos, which can be viewed through the Swarovski Optik Outdoor App. While the app includes species identification in the metadata, the ID information is not accessible when the images are downloaded to a mobile phone.
The AX Visio binoculars provide impressive video and imagery quality, although they do not offer professional-grade photographs. However, the photos are suitable for sharing on social media or making small prints. The integration of species identification and image capturing capabilities eliminates the need for multiple devices, streamlining the wildlife observation experience.