USDA · USDA-086 · record R1385

Wildlife Deterrent System

Department of Agriculture · Natural Resources and Environment

Overview

Development stage: PilotSource: b) Pilot – The use case has been deployed in a limited test or pilot capacity.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: 2025-04-21 (day precision)Source: 4/21/2025
Withheld from public reporting: Not reported

Mission

Topic area: Science
Operational functions: Image and video analysis Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

The purpose of the AI device is to keep coyotes out of a fenced area by blocking their entry through a gap in the fence, while still allowing other wildlife to pass through.

Expected benefits

The benefits include making ecological research possible that couldn't be done otherwise, and saving time by reducing the need to watch camera footage and manually control the fence.

System outputs

The model performs video object detection of coyotes, and activates a barrier to prevent passage of the coyote.

Technology

AI classification: Computer visionSource: Computer Vision: AI that processes and interprets visual data (e.g., images and videos).
System name(s): Not reported
Custom-developed code: Yes
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Contract and in-houseSource: c) Developed with both contracting and in-house resources
Vendor (as reported): Chiral Software
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: No
Privacy Impact Assessment: Not reported
Authorization to Operate: No
Demographic features: k) None of the above
Training and evaluation data: The data is composed of a few thousand photographs of coyotes collected from trail cameras.
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewNo answer reported

Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported

Operator trainingNo answer reported

Fail-safeNo answer reported

Appeal processNo answer reported

User and public consultationNo answer reported

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported