The Institute of Zoology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Informatics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences are launching the public part of the Infotick project – obtaining truthful information about ticks under the name InfoKliešť, which connects science, artificial intelligence and active citizens. This is a unique, so-called Citizen Science project – research in which the public can also actively participate. Anyone who takes a photo of a tick and records its location helps scientists train artificial intelligence and co-create a map of tick occurrence.
The InfoKliešť project, supported by the Agency for the Support of Research and Development (APVV-22-0372), will run until mid-2027 and monitors the occurrence of the most common tick species in Slovakia, their seasonal activity and potential to transmit pathogens. Data from the public will be of fundamental importance – they complement the field measurements of researchers and will allow the creation of an accurate map of tick occurrence, useful for both science and public health.
How the public and artificial intelligence help
“Thanks to photos and location data from the public, we can train artificial intelligence to recognize tick species. This data will serve as the basis for creating an accurate map of their occurrence, which will be constantly supplemented with new knowledge from the field,” explained Ing. Emil Gatial, PhD., from the Institute of Informatics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, who is leading the development of the artificial intelligence system.
The goal of the project is to develop a mobile application for intelligent tick identification and a comprehensive web platform. These tools will provide practical benefits for the public and experts – they will enable easy reporting of ticks, display of current data on their occurrence and assessment of the risk of infection with tick-borne pathogens, the final versions of which will be available in 2027.
Website: https://www.infokliest.sk/
Media coverage: Správy SAV, SITA, TASR, tv.pravda.sk, pravda.sk, tvnoviny.sk, bratislavskykraj.sk, stvr.sk, hlavnespravy.sk, medicina.trend.sk, teraz.sk, bleskovky.zoznam.sk, aktualnespravy.eu
TV: MARKÍZA, JOJ, STVR
