How AI is Revolutionising Pest Animal Control in NSW

Feral pigs pose a substantial threat to Australia’s agriculture and biodiversity, causing significant economic losses and facilitating disease transmission, including devastating outbreaks like African Swine Fever. Traditional trapping methods, while effective, are labour-intensive and require substantial human resources for pre-feeding and monitoring.

In response to these challenges, a collaborative research initiative by the Practical Ecology, Science and Technology Research Group (PEST) with members from the University of New England, the NSW Vertebrate Pest Research Unit (VPRU), and Intersect Australia has spearheaded the development of the Intelli-cam an AI-enabled solution designed to automatically detect feral animals using edge-AI and remotely operate custom designed actuators such as PigIT. PigIT is a remotely controlled trapping system able to optimize feral pig control efforts. This innovative system aims to drastically reduce human time commitment and enhance the efficiency of pest management, particularly crucial during disease outbreaks where rapid containment is paramount.

Intersect’s Advanced Analytics and AI (3AI) team were responsible for the design of all of  the technical components of the system working with the experienced ecologists within the research group to ensure the system is practical and field-ready. 

The system integrates advanced computer vision and wireless control systems into a standard panel trap. At its core is an edge-based AI camera trap, triggered by a heat-in-motion PIR sensor. This system utilizes an inbuilt algorithm, trained through open-source algorithms and transfer learning on extensive pre-collected image datasets, to not only identify feral pigs but also accurately count them. The research team was able to leverage the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) Reservation System on the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) Nectar Research Cloud to accelerate the training process and fine-tune an algorithm able to be deployed into the Intelli-cam and make decisions in real-time in the field. This counting capability is critical for effective disease control, enabling the trap to be programmed to close only when a predetermined number of pigs are detected, ensuring a higher impact on the population. The infrastructure also includes solar panels for recharging and a purpose-built wireless actuator connected to the trap gate via a simple cable system. Wireless communication with the telecommunication network allows for email records of detections, identification details, and gate closures, providing remote monitoring capabilities.

Proof-of-concept trials, initiated in July 2025, have validated the Intelli-cam’s functionality. After an initial period of pre-feeding to habituate pigs to the trap, the system demonstrated its ability to detect and count feral pigs, triggering the gate closure automatically, leading to successful trapping events. This pioneering AI-capable camera trap represents a significant leap forward in pest management, offering a tool that can be programmed for specific trapping thresholds and deployed remotely. Future development will focus on refining the Intelli-cam, reducing power consumption, enhancing remote telecommunication hubs, and potentially incorporating satellite communication for expanded remote area use.

Our data science team (3AI) are still working with researchers from PEST and VPRU to continue utilising bespoke technology solutions that aid research and practical pest management practices within NSW. 

Image: Intellicam and PigIT in the field with researchers from the Vertebrate, Pest Research Unit and Intersect Australia. From left; Dr Paul Meek, Dr Deane Smith, Lucy Collingridge and Glen Charlton

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