New AI species recognition model for Tasmania
The MEWC (Mega Efficient Wildlife Classifier) is a new open-source AI model for wildlife recognition in Tasmania, developed by Addax Data Science, Barry Brook, and the University of Tasmania.
Trained on 2.5 million labelled images across 96 classes, the MEWC for Tasmania identifies all non-flying terrestrial mammals in the island state, over 50 common bird species, as well as general categories like insects, snakes, and unknowns. The model for Tasmania has achieved >99% accuracy in tests.
Freely available on Addax Data Science’s AddaxAI (formerly EcoAssist) application, MEWC offers a scalable, modular tool for researchers, conservationists, and citizen scientists to accelerate wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts.