Identilight, the system that uses vision and artificial intelligence to detect birds in wind farms and avoid collisions with wind turbines, will be presented at Hyvolution as a solution to reconcile clean energy and wildlife protection.
Carlos Jorquera, an MIT-trained engineer, worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory developing image analysis systems for missions such as the Galileo probe and the Hubble Space Telescope. Years later, as the founder of Boulder Imaging, he combined that experience with a personal passion—birdwatching and study—to create IdentiFlight.
This advanced system uses vision and artificial intelligence to detect birds wandering in wind farms in real time and prevent collisions with wind turbines. Through high-precision optical cameras and neural networks trained to recognize species, the technology identifies flight paths and activates selective stops or speed reductions only when there is a serious risk of collision.
Its development addresses one of the main challenges facing the wind energy industry: reconciling clean energy generation with wildlife protection. In this context, various international studies have evaluated its performance. In Wyoming, USA, for example, independent research recorded a reduction of up to 85% in eagle mortality. And in France, the system has already been validated by regional authorities as a sufficient measure for the protection of vulnerable species.
To date, more than 500 units have been installed in 64 wind farm projects across 16 countries.
In addition to its detection capabilities, IdentiFlight allows for the optimization of wind farm operations. The system calculates variables such as wingspan and distance of birds, with minimal margins of error, to avoid unnecessary shutdowns and maintain energy efficiency.
All of this technology will be presented at Hyvolution, the major clean energy event taking place from September 1st to 3rd at Metropolitan Santiago. In this space, the company will showcase its application within the South American context, including the protection of species such as the Andean condor, a key component of local ecosystems.
With the expansion of renewable energy in Chile, solutions of this kind aim to reduce tensions between development and environmental impact, a balance increasingly demanded by regulators and communities.