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Friday, Feb 14, 2025
Mugglehead Investment Magazine
Alternative investment news based in Vancouver, B.C.

Technology

Bird Buddy spreads its wings with new insect observation tech

The Petal camera is one of many gadgets that made their debut at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

Bird Buddy spreads its wings with release of new insect observation tech
The Petal bug observation camera. Photo credit: Bird Buddy/Wonder

Bird Buddy is no longer merely focused on developing and distributing tech that keeps tabs on feathered creatures in the backyards of their customers houses.

The popular Michigan-headquartered company has now expanded into insect watching with the launch of its Wonder brand. Bird Buddy showcased the label’s two new products at the CES 2025 conference in Las Vegas last week.

The first is the Petal camera — an AI integrated, solar-powered device that will identify different varieties of bugs and provide users with live feed, photos and information via their smartphone. It features a 4K, 12-megapixel camera that can provide insights about plants too.

The second is the Wonder Blocks product. It is essentially designed to attract bees, butterflies and other bugs by providing them with an ideal resting place and flowers for pollination. One may get a high-resolution close up look at a praying mantis, cicada or a less common insect if they get lucky.

These products are designed to be used together.

“Using a pedestal as the base, users can personalize their Wonder Block selecting from a range of options including a plant base, seed tray, bee hotel, butterfly feeder and bug hotel,” Bird Buddy explained in a news release on Jan. 6. “When paired with Petal, Wonder Blocks come alive recording the activities of all types of bugs and insects that enjoy ambling around your back yard, while watching plants thrive.”

Bird Buddy plans to raise funding for their commercialization through a Kickstarter campaign this spring. The merchandise will then make its way into the hands of backers in early 2026 before becoming more broadly available.

Bird Buddy spreads its wings with release of new insect observation tech

Wonder Blocks. Photo credit: Bird Buddy

Read more: Tech startup adds new ‘Nature Intelligence’ features to its AI bird feeder gadget

Read more: ‘Bioptimus’ raises millions to develop biology expert AI bot

Bird Buddy’s first Kickstarter campaign pulled over US$2 million

The tech creator’s Smart Bird Feeder product, launched in late 2020, has become immensely popular in recent years.

It is capable of identifying over 1,000 species and has been continually upgraded with new features since its debut.

This artificial intelligence-powered camera technology boasts a 98 per cent rate of accuracy for identifying woodpeckers, robins, sparrows, blue jays and other winged creatures.

At Nevada’s 2022 Consumer Electronic Show, Bird Buddy was recognized as an Innovation Awards Honoree. Others like TIME Magazine and Fast Company have praised Bird Buddy’s inventiveness as well.

The backyard monitoring tech specialist has its cameras spread through over 100 countries.

 

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