Taronga Trials Google Glass
Have you ever felt like you stepped into a sci-fi movie or had a 'Back to the Future' moment? That's exactly what it was like for our Zoo Keepers when we trialled the first set of Google Glass to hit Australian shores. Some of our Zoo colleagues in the States had tested out the new technology to give people an insight into their wild world, an actual look at the Zoo through the Keeper’s eyes, and we were equally keen to give it a go and more importantly see if the unobtrusive cameras could further help us monitor and care for our amazing animals. So, we put Google Glass through its paces, with our keepers wearing them whilst feeding the kangaroos, checking a six month old koala, feeding the giraffe and doing some training sessions with our new Wedge-tail Eagle and Sooty Owls. It certainly was quite a novelty and heaps of fun to get our hands on the glasses before anyone else in Australia, but more importantly it could be used to great effect to help us monitor intricate animal behaviour and assist us in getting footage of things like kangaroo and koala health checks which we actually have little photographic or video footage of because our hands are too busy working with the animals. It was quite weird watching the footage back and seeing exactly what the keeper sees, but we’re all about connecting people with wildlife and this does indeed give a new meaning to up-close and personal and who can’t fall in love with the huge eyes of a Giraffe looking straight at you?
Taronga Zoo Sydney
Posted on 11 July 2018 by Media Post
Have you ever felt like you stepped into a sci-fi movie or had a 'Back to the Future' moment? That's exactly what it was like for our Zoo Keepers when we trialled the first set of Google Glass to hit Australian shores. Some of our Zoo colleagues in the States had tested out the new technology to give people an insight into their wild world, an actual look at the Zoo through the Keeper’s eyes, and we were equally keen to give it a go and more importantly see if the unobtrusive cameras could further help us monitor and care for our amazing animals. So, we put Google Glass through its paces, with our keepers wearing them whilst feeding the kangaroos, checking a six month old koala, feeding the giraffe and doing some training sessions with our new Wedge-tail Eagle and Sooty Owls. It certainly was quite a novelty and heaps of fun to get our hands on the glasses before anyone else in Australia, but more importantly it could be used to great effect to help us monitor intricate animal behaviour and assist us in getting footage of things like kangaroo and koala health checks which we actually have little photographic or video footage of because our hands are too busy working with the animals. It was quite weird watching the footage back and seeing exactly what the keeper sees, but we’re all about connecting people with wildlife and this does indeed give a new meaning to up-close and personal and who can’t fall in love with the huge eyes of a Giraffe looking straight at you?
Media Relations
Taronga Zoo Sydney
Taronga Conservation Society Australia is a leader in the fields of conservation, research, animal welfare, wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education.
Taronga is a not-for-profit organisation with an absolute commitment to conservation and securing a shared future for wildlife and people.
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