BlueWaveID allows researchers to collect and store data and metrics on cetacean sightings at sea in real time. The tool uses Machine Learning to expand knowledge about these animals' behavior and enable information sharing.

KCS IT has developed BlueWaveID, an app designed for real-time recording of cetacean data for future use in research. The product is part of the R&D area of KCS Terceira Tech (Azores), focused on developing technically innovative projects supported by local resources, with an emphasis on Health and Sustainability and a positive impact on the community and biodiversity.

The project has now been submitted to the SIFIDE program (Tax Incentive System for Business Research and Development) run by the National Innovation Agency (ANI).

As Luís Dias, Director of KCS IT's Consulting division, explains, "Sustainability is an increasingly present concern in how KCS IT operates. Our team's R&D area based in Terceira, Azores, is dedicated to developing products with that focus, which can impact how we analyze and leverage natural resources and their conservation. The solution now developed records and stores data on a cetacean's journey, location, sightings, and characteristics, making it an invaluable tool for researchers, universities, professionals, and organizations studying these animals, their behavior, and their relationship with the environment. The way we look at and engage with the world has changed, and technology is, alongside human will, the main driver of a more sustainable world."

The app works through users uploading photographs of cetaceans, recording data about the trip and the photographed animal. This includes metrics such as the number of sightings, sighting duration, identifications, visibility, sea condition data, cetacean behavior, longitude and latitude of the location, and also images of the individual, especially the tail, which is how these mammals are identified.

The app uses a Machine Learning algorithm that analyzes the data and identifies the cetacean observed. In a future identification process, if the cetacean is already in the database, this identification happens automatically. The collected data is available for export and data analysis applications.

The advantages of this type of solution are numerous: easier recording — today, all sightings are recorded on paper after researchers return to land, but with smartphones it's possible to record all information on-site, including weather and location data; nature conservation — recording a large volume of data on routes, sightings, identification, and monitoring allows for more informed decisions regarding conservation and protection goals; data centralization — recorded data is stored and available across all of the user's (or their team's) devices, and the statistics will help with nature conservation efforts; pattern recognition technology — identifying the individual (cetacean) by the shape and characteristics of the tail, using Machine Learning.

With the app now built, the KCS IT team's next steps involve engaging partners and complementing BlueWaveID with cetacean databases, as well as implementing the go-to-market strategy.