WT-Bird

WT-Bird is TNO's system for detecting bird and bat collisions with wind-turbine blades. It combines high-sensitivity fibre-optic vibration sensors in the blades, impact classification algorithms and AI-supported image processing into a real-time collision detection platform. TNO delivers 12 WT-Bird systems to the Ecowende offshore wind farm (Hollandse Kust West VI), where sensors on all blades of some turbines and cameras on the platform register whether a bird or bat has hit a blade. Ecowende uses the data to understand how birds and bats behave around turbines; the system registers collisions and does not control the turbines. TNO reports high detection rates even for light objects of 8-40 g.