While Your Eyes Follow Fish In This Aquarium, It Follows You Back
Have you ever stood before an aquarium and wondered what fish species were swimming before you? Those days of standing around the aquarium looking at the marine life cluelessly could soon be a thing of the past.
The Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is introducing the AI Aquarium, which can track a visitor’s eyes and display information about the fish within its tank.
These innovative tanks will host two depth-sensing 3D cameras, one on the outside and one on the inside. The one on the exterior tracks the watcher’s eyes and determines where within the tank they are looking at. Then the interior camera steps in and follows the position of the fish to match it up with what the eye sees.
Video footage taken from the second camera is put through a recognition algorithm to determine the species of marine life, which is stored in a computer database. Once it has been confirmed that the viewer is looking, the tank will display information about the fish on a microLED screen that overlays the aquarium allowing for the text to be presented right next to the fish.
Those looking for a more educational trip at the aquarium can use simple hand gestures, such as holding up their fingers as numbers, to prompt more information about the species, where it is from, dietary habits, and more.
Something as interactive and immersive as this could enhance visitors’ experience in museums and other wildlife centers worldwide should the technology take off. Moreover, it offers a simple way to teach not only children but adults as well.
The smart aquarium is ready to educate patrons at the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology in Taiwan.
