ShadowWolf -- Automatic Labelling, Evaluation and Model Training Optimised for Camera Trap Wildlife Images

Abstract

The continuous growth of the global human population is leading to the expansion of human habitats, resulting in decreasing wildlife spaces and increasing human-wildlife interactions. These interactions can range from minor disturbances, such as raccoons in urban waste bins, to more severe consequences, including species extinction. As a result, the monitoring of wildlife is gaining significance in various contexts. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a solution by automating the recognition of animals in images and videos, thereby reducing the manual effort required for wildlife monitoring. Traditional AI training involves three main stages: image collection, labelling, and model training. However, the variability, for example, in the landscape (e.g., mountains, open fields, forests), weather (e.g., rain, fog, sunshine), lighting (e.g., day, night), and camera-animal distances presents significant challenges to model robustness and adaptability in real-world scenarios. In this work, we propose a unified framework, called ShadowWolf, designed to address these challenges by integrating and optimizing the stages of AI model training and evaluation. The proposed framework enables dynamic model retraining to adjust to changes in environmental conditions and application requirements, thereby reducing labelling efforts and allowing for on-site model adaptation. This adaptive and unified approach enhances the accuracy and efficiency of wildlife monitoring systems, promoting more effective and scalable conservation efforts.