KAUST researchers develop low-cost AI drone system to track camels in Saudi Arabia

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a low-cost, AI-powered drone system that detects, identifies, and tracks camels in real time to modernize Saudi Arabia’s traditional camel herding. Led by Professor Basem Shihada, the system uses affordable commercial drones with a single camera and a YOLO-based AI model trained on the first aerial dataset of camel images, enabling herders to locate wandering animals, map herd movements, and optimize grazing without expensive GPS collars or satellite links. The technology aims to reduce livestock losses, prevent road accidents involving stray camels, lower operational costs, and promote sustainable grazing practices while providing scientists with new data on camel migration and behavior. Camels remain culturally and economically vital to Saudi Arabia, contributing over SAR 2 billion ($534 million) annually to the economy through food, textiles, and tourism sectors.