Installations like wind turbines are supposed to be good for the environment as it will reduce our dependency on fossil fuels for energy. However, it seems that these large installations have a negative side effect and that is it could result in accidental deaths of birds who might either fly into it or get hit by the blades.
To solve this problem, IdentiFlight decided to conduct a test in which they installed smart cameras on some wind turbines located in Wyoming. These cameras have the ability to detect and identify birds, especially if they might be of the endangered species. If it does detect a bird, it will then send a signal to the turbine which will then have its motion accordingly to ensure that the blades will not hit the birds.
Based on their initial studies, they found that by using these cameras, they managed to see a reduction in the number of eagles that are killed, dropping it down from 7.5 a year to 2.5 a year. However, some have questioned how feasible IdentiFlight is. This is because of the size and weight of the blades of the fans, which begs the question of whether or not it can be stopped in time, and also how difficult it must be to restart it.
There is also the matter of efficiency, where if it detects birds constantly, the turbines will need to start and stop which reduces the effectiveness of it. Lastly, there is also the issue of price, where the IdentiFlight system is priced at $150,000 for installation and will also come with an $8,000 a year in maintenance fees.
Filed in . Read more about Nature, Science and Social Hit. Source: iflscience