binoculars will allow you to recognize and comment on what is in their viewfinder

Artificial intelligence arrives in unexpected objects, binoculars for example. Some are now able to recognize what they see.

This should interest nature lovers. Binoculars capable of recognizing shapes in the viewfinder, thanks to artificial intelligence, can now accompany them on their walks. If you are observing an animal for example, these binoculars will tell you precisely what species it is. If it’s a mountain, they will give us its name and height. A constellation? They will identify it, group the stars together. We will be able to visualize more easily the drawing of the Little Dipper, the Centauri, the nebulae…

It’s impressive. The information is superimposed directly in the field of vision, inside the optics. The system also allows you to display a hiking trail hidden in the distance, for example. We can really talk about intelligent binoculars.

No need to plug anything in, everything happens inside. They are full of electronics with a microprocessor, a GPS, a compass. This is what will allow us to know precisely where we are and where we are looking. They also integrate a camera to perform image analysis and recognize waterways, mountains and, of course, animals.

Currently, only two manufacturers offer this type of binoculars. The Austrian Swarovski Optik and the French Unistellar. The Austrian model is capable of recognizing 9,000 species of birds and mammals. The Frenchman is already known for his telescopes and, if his binoculars will not be able to recognize animals, they will be knowledgeable about constellations and hiking trails.

Swarovski Optik binoculars are already on the market, but their price is more than elite, since they are sold at 4,600 euros. However, they only have a fairly standard x10 magnification. This is probably the price to pay for the recognition of animals…

On the other hand, we do not yet have the release date for those of Unistellar. The project has just been announced. The price should be around 1,200 euros. So we hope that these technologies will become more accessible. Because we would like to see them on other devices: spotting scopes, telescopes or even, why not, microscopes.