If you’ve ever been on a hike and noticed a tree with unusual leaves or flowers you didn’t recognize and wish you knew more about, there’s good news! Researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution have developed a new phone app that delivers “botany on call” using visual recognition software. The app is called “LeafSnap“ and is free for iphone and ipad users. The technology will currently show the trees and plants found in New York City and Washington, D.C. but is soon expected to carry information on trees across the U.S.
This is the first in a series of electronic field guides being developed using this technology.