The first LAARMA system protects animals on Australian roads

In Australia, animal-vehicle collisions are a serious problem for this continent’s ecosystem. Now scientists have found a technological solution. The world’s first roadside LAARMA system based on artificial intelligence that protects wild animals from dangerous encounters with traffic.

The technical component of the system consists of a complex of RGB cameras, thermal imagers and LiDAR sensors controlled by self-learning artificial intelligence. As soon as a large animal appears in the detection zone, digital warning signs are activated on the road, signaling drivers about the need to reduce speed.

Year-long trials showed impressive results. The system demonstrated 97% accuracy in detecting cassowaries and recorded more than 287 encounters with these rare birds. Drivers responding to flashing warnings reduced speed by an average of 6 km/h. An indicator that almost increases animals’ survival chances by a third.