A Mobile Application for Detecting and Monitoring the Development Stages of Wild Flowers and Plants

Authors

  • João Videira
  • Pedro D. Gaspar
  • Vasco N. G. J. Soares Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Portugal Instituto de Telecomunicações, Portugal
  • João M. L. P. Caldeira

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31449/inf.v48i6.5645

Abstract

Wild flowers and plants appear spontaneously. They form the ecological basis on which life depends. They play a fundamental role in the regeneration of natural life and the balance of ecological systems. However, this irreplaceable natural heritage is at risk of being lost due to human activity and climate change. The work presented in this paper contributes to the conservation effort. It is based on a previous study by the same authors, which identified computer vision as a suitable technological platform for detecting and monitoring the development stages of wild flowers and plants. It describes the process of developing a mobile application that uses YOLOv4 and YOLOv4-tiny convolutional neural networks to detect the stages of development of   wild flowers and plants. This application could be used by visitors in a nature park to provide information and raise awareness about the  wild flowers and plants they find along the roads and trails.

Author Biography

Vasco N. G. J. Soares, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Portugal Instituto de Telecomunicações, Portugal

Vasco N. G. J. Soares is a Professor and Cisco Instructor at the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Portugal, and a Researcher at the Instituto de Telecomunicações, Portugal. He is a Co-founder of the startup InspiringSci, Lda. He received a five-year B.Sc. degree in Informatics Engineering from the University of Coimbra, Portugal and the Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal. He has authored or co-authored over 100 papers in refereed journals, book chapters, and conferences, and 2 patents. He is an editorial board member and reviewer for various international journals and guest editor of special issues. He regularly serves as an organizer, technical program committee member and reviewer for international conferences and workshops. He has participated in national and European research projects related to vehicular networks and Internet of things. He is a Senior Member of IEEE. His research interests include vehicular networks, delay/disruption tolerant networks, Internet of things, smart cities, and smart farming.

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Published

2024-02-27

How to Cite

Videira, J., Gaspar, P. D., Soares, V. N. G. J., & Caldeira, J. M. L. P. (2024). A Mobile Application for Detecting and Monitoring the Development Stages of Wild Flowers and Plants. Informatica, 48(6). https://doi.org/10.31449/inf.v48i6.5645

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 6 (2024): Online-only issue

Section

Online-only

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