Smart Solutions for Invasive Species: The Myna Trap Challenge
A technology and engineering initiative designed for innovators and disruptors passionate about shaping a sustainable and impactful future.
The Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), an invasive bird species, poses a growing threat to Qatar’s ecosystems, agriculture, and urban spaces. With its aggressive behavior, it disrupts biodiversity, damages infrastructure, and creates safety concerns. Despite existing control efforts, the current methods are labor-intensive, limited, and unsustainable.
💡 Your Mission:
Develop smart, scalable, and humane traps to capture the Myna efficiently while protecting non-target species. Whether through AI-driven species identification, automated reset traps, or lure systems, this is your chance to design a solution that makes a real impact.
🚀 Why Participate?
Contribute to Qatar’s ecological preservation,
Showcase your innovation in AI, technology, and sustainability,
Be part of a game-changing conservation effort.
Ready to make a difference? Join the challenge and help us protect our ecosystems’ balance! 🌍
Potential solutions we can look at could include (but should not be limited to):
- AI-driven species identification: cameras and AI algorithms will analyse bird’s physical characteristics and behaviour to ensure that only Myna’s are trapped, while non-target species are released.
- Sensors and motion detectors: infrared or pressure sensors will trigger the trap only when the target species is detected.
- Automated reset and remote monitoring: the trap will reset itself after each capture, with real -time notifications sent to a mobile or web platform for remote monitoring and data collection.
- Lura systems: the use of sound technology (pre-recorded Myna calls) and food bait (breadcrumbs, fruit) to attract the birds.
Awards:-
100,000 USD
Cash contributions from QRDI
Mentorship and support for solution development
In-kind contributions
Access to relevant datasets and to pilot site(s)
In-kind contributions
Deadline:- 14-04-2025
