New high-tech zoo wants to feed animals with drones

If there’s a chance to see a kangaroo flying on a drone, count us in.

Sydney Zoo, which is set to sit atop a 40.8-acre site in Bungarribee, Australia, is teaming up with Western Sydney University to make the animal park a high-tech experience, and not just for the visitors, but for the animals too. 

An artist's rendering of Sydney Zoo. Image source: Sydney Zoo.

The zoo, which will host a range of native Australian species, as well as exotic creatures such as chimpanzees and elephants, is expected to open in late 2017. It’s not often that zoos and startups collaborate, but to brainstorm ideas for how anything augmented reality to drones could be used on-site, the university is planning to host a hackathon this month.

According to Don Wright, a senior manager of Western Sydney University’s LaunchPad Program, visiting the zoo should be a technologically-enabled experience after the hackathon. The event will focus on three main areas: curating the visitor experience with technology, animal conservation and welfare, and immersive displays.

By using an app and Wi-Fi coverage, the zoo could interact with visitors from the beginning to the end of their visit. “We're trying to underpin the whole visitor experience with this mobile device-enable capability,” Wright told Mashable . “Prior to getting to the zoo, if you download the app, you'll be getting fed alerts and information about your day. It might be telling you traffic information, or when certain displays are on.”

To make sure visitors are enjoying themselves, the zoo could use real-time data collection. For example, sensors could help management understand where crowds are forming and move people along.

When it comes to the animals, the zoo is open to try robotics, automation, and drone technology to support animal conservation and animal welfare. “It could be limiting the amount of human interaction by using drones for feeding or cleaning,” Wright explained. Before anyone gets carried away with technology the animals don't want or need, experts will be on-hand during the hackathon to highlight the habits and characteristics of each animal.

The hackathon will also be taking a look at how the zoo could convey scientific information to school groups and other visitors. This could include augmented reality displays and holograms.

Source: Mashable